Trump’s goal is the ‘retaliation’ he promised in his Second Presidency

As Donald J. Trump returns to office, critics, prosecutors and perceived enemies who seek to hold him accountable and banish him from American political life now face, with the great anxiety, a president who takes power after vowing revenge.

Mr. Trump promised to investigate and punish the enemies, especially those involved in the impeachment of the four and the congressional investigation into the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

These threats, along with his plans to grant amnesty to some of those who carried out the attacks on January 6, have many in Washington and elsewhere fired up, not afraid of government action. just to attack them but the telegraph of their desire. created an unpredictable world, a free response by its supporters.

Michael Fanone, a former police officer who was among those attacked by a pro-Trump crowd on January 6, 2021, is an outspoken critic of Mr. Trump. She said she feared the violence and threats already directed at her and her family – including her mother – would worsen once Mr Trump returned to office.

“I am most concerned about the possibility of violence and violence that will continue not only to me but to my family,” he said. “What worries me is that people believe that if they physically attack me or my family, Donald Trump will remove them from their jobs, and who’s to say he won’t.”

The New York Times contacted more than two dozen of Mr. Trump’s most outspoken critics and considered adversaries to ask about their level of concern. Despite having previously spoken out or been involved in the case against him, almost all refused to discuss their concerns publicly, saying that speaking out now would make them more likely to be targeted.

But speaking on condition of anonymity, they expressed concern.

Some said they were worried that the Justice Department or the FBI might launch an internal or criminal investigation into their actions while on the job, even if they acted legally and in good faith. The fact that Mr. Kash Patel has published an extensive list of enemies. Trump to run the FBI, has only intensified his concerns.

Others said they were worried about losing jobs or clients to the private sector. And some, like Mr. Fanone, said they took seriously the possibility that Trump supporters, following his call for revenge, would harass or attack them. or his family. Mr. Trump’s plan to grant amnesty to some rioters on Jan. 6 will undermine the rule of law, they say, and make things worse.

Although Mr. Trump has repeatedly threatened retaliation, some of his aides and advisers have suggested that he should not always be taken literally. “I don’t want to go back to the past,” he said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” last month, and said he thought his attorney general and FBI director would decide. – decision to look at his enemies like the members of the selection committee of the Assembly on January 6.

In response to questions about whether Mr. Trump intended to use government weapons against his enemies, a spokesman for the transition team condemned President Biden, saying there was no evidence that weapons were used. of Mr. Biden’s political opponents.

During Mr. Trump’s first term, many of the people he often calls for investigations or other retributions have found themselves targeted by the government, costing them time, money, reputation and causing great anxiety for them and their families. .

In some cases, Mr. Trump does not need to take action at all because his allies do the work for him. House Republicans released a report last month saying Liz Cheney, the former Wyoming representative who helped lead the investigation into the January 6 riots and who led it, should face an FBI investigation into her work. on the panel. And Republicans on Capitol Hill are considering whether to demand testimony from former special counsel Jack Smith, who prosecuted two federal criminal cases against Mr. Trump.

On the other hand, some of the people said, the fear of retaliation has already had the effect of softening public criticism of Mr. Trump at a time when it has flowed to corporate executives and individuals. -other famous people who have previously distanced themselves from him or criticized him. a sign of his support.

One of the few people willing to speak was Charles Kupperman, Mr Trump’s former deputy national security adviser whom Mr Patel has named as his nemesis in his book. Mr. Kupperman said he was willing to speak publicly because he wanted the public to know how Mr. Patel was unqualified to be FBI director because of his character and lack of competence.

“What are they going to do to me?” he said. “I am 74 years old, I have been married for 55 years, I am satisfied that I have done everything I could to help my country and build a better future for my family. I’m not particularly worried. I still believe that if something happens, the rule of law will prevail.

An outspoken critic of Mr Trump – who played a key role in one of the impeachment efforts during his first term – said in an interview that he recently bought his first gun in his life because he was afraid that Trump. supporters emboldened by the president willing to let them go will attack him and his family at home.

One of the many Republicans on the enemy list compiled by Mr. Patel said he was proud of his public service but worried that making his name public would inflame Trump supporters. eager to target his family.

A Democratic lawyer, who mocked Mr. Trump, who has been public for years, has refused to speak on the record for this article out of concern that his statements could result in retaliation not only for himself, but also for his legal clients. He advised others in his situation to hold their fire until they had time to determine how far Mr. Trump to go.

One outgoing White House official, who was present at the biggest decision of the Biden administration, said with a laugh that he has a two-step plan for his immediate future.

Step 1: Take a long break on the opposite side of the floor.

Step Two: Fly home and hire a lawyer.

For many, the strengthening of security is already underway. Prominent witnesses and investigators from the various government investigations into Mr. Trump are convinced that he himself will be investigated by Congress or the Justice Department and have retained a powerful law firm in Washington, which often representing politicians under corruption investigations or Fortune 500 companies facing difficulties. legal and regulatory issues.

People close to Mr. Trump agree that they are engaged, in part, in a psychological war game, demanding payback for failed impeachments, congressional investigations and the criminal prosecution that Mr. Trump has long labeled a witch hunt. And he enjoys scaring those who, as he sees it, have been hunting him for years.

But this fear-mongering also has a pragmatic purpose: It serves as a boost to Trump’s overstretched political appointees at a time when they are forced to rely on a seasoned federal force in Washington that he sees as an enemy.

One of the goals during the transition, according to several people close to Trump’s team, was to confuse and destabilize liberal officials, particularly at the Department of Justice, pushing them to leave – and explain that everyone who stays needs to follow. the orders of Trump appointees or face removal, relocation or punishment.

During Mr. Trump’s four years in office, he has faced major congressional investigations, been impeached four times, found guilty of sexual assault and defamation, and lost a costly civil case. hundreds of millions of dollars and became a criminal by guilty verdict in a Manhattan courtroom. Those moves have unleashed a new group of people who have spent much of the 2020 presidential campaign saying they want to target him if he gets back to the White House.

Mr. Trump will now go to work with the Supreme Court after it ruled that there is no prohibition on the president consulting with the attorney general about the case, and that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution for official acts. done during the administration.

At her confirmation hearing this week, Pam Bondi, Mr. Trump’s pick for attorney general, sought to play down concerns that she would launch a criminal investigation into people identified as Mr. Trump’s enemies. Patel or Mr. He is Trump.

But he did not outright refuse to order an investigation as ordered by Mr. Trump, if he had reached the point of independence, decided it was worth it and conducted it according to the law.

Fears among many of those targeted by Mr. Trump and his allies have eased somewhat after the election — and speculation that the Justice Department and the FBI will be caught up in the mass exodus of ‘the worker, which is considered as a defense against the investigation of the party, has not yet been found to be true.

Officials in the Biden White House have been preparing to consider large-scale pardons for those in Mr. Trump’s eyes. But they said they were surprised when many they met said they did not want an amnesty, especially members of the National Assembly committee investigating the January 6 attack, because it could set a bad example. that’s it.

However, it is still possible to grant amnesty before leaving office on Monday for those who have responded better, according to senior administration officials. experienced.