Donald Trump ran for office promising to get revenge, and he is now fulfilling that promise. The president is not wasting any time in deploying the full might of the government to punish opponents, rivals, and even former supporters who dared to oppose him. He returned to power with the promise of punishment.
John Bolton, Trump’s own former national security adviser who is now a critic, had his house raided by the FBI on Friday. Bolton referred to the government as the “retribution presidency” just last week. He is currently in Trump’s crosshairs.
Trump’s Department of Justice is also looking into Adam Schiff, the Democrat who led Trump’s first impeachment, and Letitia James, the New York Attorney General who famously sued Trump’s company for fraud. Ras Baraka, the Democratic mayor of Newark, has also been taken into custody, and Rep. LaMonica McIver has been charged in connection with an immigration demonstration. Andrew Cuomo, the former governor of New York and current mayoral candidate of New York City, is also being investigated.
Democrats are not the only people on Trump’s hit list. He has targeted Chris Krebs, the cyber chief who angered Trump by claiming the 2020 election was secure, and Miles Taylor, who once revealed Trump’s dictatorial tendencies in a candid book. This is justice in the eyes of Trump supporters. The White House spokesperson, Abigail Jackson, stated that Joe Biden used his government as a tool to attack political rivals, most notably President Trump. Law and order is being restored by Trump.
Critics, however, perceive a darker side. Brendan Nyhan, a political scientist at Dartmouth, cautioned: You put armed troops on the streets alongside the possibility of prosecution. Anyone who has read a history book can see that the type of administration we are dealing with is rather obvious. In fact, Trump has deployed thousands of National Guard members into American cities to combat immigration and crime; Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., are already heavily patrolled. Chicago might follow.
“My revenge will be success” was Trump’s campaign slogan.Is this something that people forget? His retaliation is being carried out right in front of your eyes.image.twitter.com/CBFazLkQbZ
On July 25, 2025, Brandie with a (@BrandieWithABee)
Donald Trump
has also dismissed prosecutors involved in the Jan. 6 riots and pardoned almost 1,500 individuals convicted in those instances. While watchdogs are already looking into Special Counsel Jack Smith, who indicted Trump over sensitive information and his attempts to rig the 2020 election, Attorney General Pam Bondi has started a grand jury investigation into the Russia probe that plagued Trump’s first term.
Stephen Saltzburg, a former officer at the Justice Department, stated rather bluntly: I find it astounding how many individuals the Trump administration has targeted, all of whom are recognized by the fact that they looked into or challenged Trump in some capacity.
During his campaign, Donald Trump pledged to utilize the government’s authority to get revenge on anyone he felt had harmed him.
August 23, 2025, U.S. News & World Report (@usnews)
Even Donald Trump is open about his desire for power. I could be aware of it. He informed reporters, “I might be the one who started it.” In reality, I am the top law enforcement official.
Trump’s retaliation is spreading throughout institutions, from depriving judges of cases, punishing law firms, and shutting down universities that don’t comply with his demands to dismissing generals and removing the security clearances of three dozen officials. According to Justin Levitt, a former DOJ official, it’s what he promised. When no one tells them no, that’s what bullies do.
