President Donald Trump delivered a distinctively characteristic speech replete with grievances and campaign rhetoric. However, the setting, the U.S. Department of Justice, was noteworthy. This appearance signified Trump’s most overt exertion of personal influence over federal law enforcement, traditionally managed by appointees who maintain professional detachment from the president to ensure that political considerations do not influence prosecutorial decisions. Trump, contrastingly, embraced the concept of using the agency as his own instrument of retribution.
“As the chief law enforcement officer in our country, I will insist upon and demand full and complete accountability for the wrongs and abuses that have occurred,” declared Trump to the gathered audience, with Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel present. After concluding his nearly hour-long address within the department’s ceremonial Great Hall, Trump’s familiar campaign song, “YMCA,” filled the air.
Let us delve into Trump’s assertions, their factuality, and the implications of his remarks.
Enemies
“The same scum you have been dealing with for years. Guys like Andrew Weissman, deranged Jack Smith. There’s a guy named Norm Eisen, I don’t even know what he looks like. His name is Norm Eisen of CREW; he’s been after me for nine years.”
Trump unmistakably pointed out certain lawyers and a legal nonprofit he has clashed with over the years, essentially laying out a list of individuals whom he might wish to see prosecuted by the officials seated around him.
Although Trump named lawyer Eisen, he inaccurately described him as leading the nonprofit Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, an organization that unsuccessfully attempted to prevent Trump’s reelection bid due to his involvement in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Eisen was indeed part of the organization during Trump’s first term but is no longer associated with it. Nonetheless, Trump accused Eisen of being “violent,” a characterization that is unfounded. Eisen is a lawyer who has never employed physical force against Trump. Weissman, involved as a lead prosecutor probing Trump campaign affairs with Russia, became notable during Trump’s initial term. One individual Weissman prosecuted, former national security adviser Michael Flynn, attended the speech and received warm acknowledgment from Trump himself. Trump also mentioned Smith, the special prosecutor responsible for charging Trump in relation to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election and for harboring classified documents at his Florida resort.
Media
“I believe that CNN and MSDNC, who literally write 97.6% bad about me, are political arms of the Democrat Party. And in my opinion, they are really corrupt and they are illegal. What they do is illegal.”
This statement stood out significantly, as the President of the United States conveyed to his Department of Justice that he perceives the media to be operating illegally merely because they report unfavorably about him. It goes without saying that CNN and MSNBC (a network Trump jestingly renamed MSDNC) are not affiliated with the Democratic Party. Regardless of any perception of media bias, there exists no concrete legal linkage. The First Amendment protects political entities’ right to criticize opposing politicians. Furthermore, the media is entitled to exercise similar freedoms despite any perceived biases.
2020 election
“What a difference a rigged and crooked election had on our country, when you think about it. And the people who did this to us should go to jail. They should go to jail.”
One of Trump’s preferred discussion topics is the contested 2020 election he insists was unfairly swayed against him. Nevertheless, Trump indeed lost. Despite his allegations of widespread electoral fraud in 2020, substantial evidence refutes these claims. Trump’s numerous legal challenges failed, including those adjudicated by judges he appointed. His own attorney general at the time publicly stated there was no fraud of the magnitude capable of altering the election outcome. Recounts and audits conducted in battleground states that were unfavorable to Trump confirmed President Biden’s victory.
It remains unclear whom Trump referenced when mentioning “the people who did this” in his threat. However, it holds significance when a president addresses the Department of Justice by suggesting individuals should face imprisonment for something that never occurred.
The FBI
“I pardoned hundreds of political prisoners who had been grossly mistreated. We removed the senior FBI officials who misdirected resources to send SWAT teams after grandmothers and J6 hostages. And it was a great honor for me, a great honor to fire James Comey.”
Trump’s speech heralded a claim to end what he describes as the “weaponization” of the Department of Justice, while simultaneously boasting about pardoning those who partook in the January 6 Capitol attack in an attempt to overturn the election results. Trump further reminisced about the controversial firing of James Comey, then FBI director, during his first term. Trump’s controversial decision to dismiss Comey, although it sparked significant debate at the time, now appears relatively minor. Christopher Wray, nominated by Trump to succeed Comey, stepped down after enduring Trump’s relentless criticism, replaced eventually by Patel, a loyalist without previous FBI experience. The president proudly highlighting the dismissal of senior FBI officials sends unequivocal messages to the Department of Justice.
Judges
“They wanted to scare the hell out of the judges. And they do it. How do you stop it? … What do you do to get rid of it? You convict Trump.”
Trump has, since his initial presidential campaign in 2016, routinely targeted judges whose rulings were unfavorable to him. Remarkably, Trump suggested that judicial decisions against him resulted from opposition threats directed at judges. Reality, however, portrays a different narrative. The judge presiding over Trump’s criminal proceedings in New York, Juan Merchan, endured threats following Trump’s constant attacks on him and his family. As Trump’s complaints about a “rigged” legal system mounted, judicial bodies documented a sharp increase in threats, amidst his battle against four separate prosecutions during his campaign. Judicial organizations assert an increase in such threats. Trump accurately highlighted adverse coverage targeting conservative Supreme Court Justices over certain rulings and ethical conduct. Given his administration’s various legal challenges soon to be heard by the Supreme Court, Trump has understandable reasons for seeking judicial sympathy.
