President Trump ordered the Justice Department to look into Democrats he calls “EXTORTIONISTS,” saying they have threatened his attorney general with impeachment and Republican donors with prison since winning Congress.
Story Highlights
- Trump posted the order on Truth Social, his social media site, and called the Democrats’ threats a “criminal act.”
- He named Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin and said the prison time should go to the Democrats, not to Republicans.
- Democrats have vowed to “launch investigations” and told the Trump team to “lawyer up” after taking both chambers of Congress.
- Slotkin has said her words were twisted; the Justice Department did not answer requests for comment.
Trump’s Order, In His Own Words
On Saturday, November 7, Trump said he was sending the matter to the Justice Department. He said Democrats were using the threat of impeachment, and of jail, to punish Republicans for being Republicans. “The Democrats are going around threatening a lot of people, including the Attorney General of the United States, and others, with Impeachment and many other forms of punishment, even though they admit they have no reason to do so,” he wrote.
“This is extortion at the highest level, and they should be held accountable for this,” Trump wrote. “By copy of this statement, I am ordering the Department of Justice to look into this criminal act, immediately!” He added, “Also, they’re threatening our Donors, some of the most respected people anywhere in the World, with imprisonment.” He called it “Weaponization and Lawfare at another level.” Lawfare means using courts and legal cases as a weapon against political foes. He ended with a warning: “The imprisonment should be against these EXTORTIONISTS, and Republicans should get smart, fast!”
Which Democrats, And What They Said
The attorney general Trump defended is Todd Blanche, who leads the Justice Department. Two House Democrats, Rep. Hank Johnson of Georgia and Rep. Deborah Ross of North Carolina, have floated impeaching him. Johnson said in a radio interview that he believes Blanche’s conduct warrants impeachment and removal. Ross said she supports impeaching Blanche but thinks Democrats “should start with Hegseth,” meaning Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Trump singled out Slotkin by name. He said she was “saying that she is going to go after all young people that believe in Republican Values.” In remarks at the University of Chicago on October 13, Slotkin said Congress should pursue “signature cases” against Trump and “the people who enabled him.” She said she wanted a “deterrence message” sent to people thinking about working in the administration.
Other Democrats have spoken in the same tone since the midterm wins. Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, the panel that investigates the executive branch, posted a video telling the “Trump Crime Family” to “lawyer up.” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said, “Whenever Trump defies the will of the American people or the law, we will launch investigations, take him to court, and entangle him in legislative razor wire.”
The Response So Far
When Republican Sen. Mike Lee accused Slotkin of threatening young people who want to enter politics, she said Lee had lied about her comments. “Spare us the manufactured outrage,” she wrote. Spokespeople for Slotkin and for the Justice Department did not answer requests for comment on Trump’s order, according to reports. The department has not said whether it has opened a case.
Trump’s post did not point to a specific letter, call or statement as the criminal act, and it did not name a law he believes was broken. Democrats describe their plans as normal oversight, which is the power Congress has to investigate the executive branch, hold hearings and demand records.
Why This Fight Matters
Democrats take control of the House and Senate in January. That gives them the power to issue subpoenas, which are legal orders to hand over records or testify. Trump’s order is a warning shot before that power arrives. It tells his allies, his donors and the people who work for him that he plans to fight back.
This is not the first time the Justice Department has looked at Slotkin. It investigated her and other Democratic lawmakers over a video urging service members to refuse illegal orders, but a grand jury declined to indict them. Whether this new order leads anywhere is up to the department. For conservatives, the bigger point is simple: the same rules should apply to both parties, and no one should face jail for backing a candidate.
Sources:
yahoo.com, politico.com, fox32chicago.com, newsweek.com, cnbc.com, cnbc.com, democrats.senate.gov
