Donald Trump swept back into the White House this year promising, among other things, retribution against his perceived enemies. Nine months later, the unprecedented scope of that pledge – or threat – is fully taking shape.
Trump has vocally encouraged his attorney general to target political opponents. He has suggested the government should revoke TV licenses to bring a biased mainstream media to heel. He has targeted law firms he sees as adversaries, pulling government security clearances and contracts.
His moves have been conducted with an open zeal – a brazenness, his critics say – that belies how dramatic and norm-shattering they are.
His demand last week that the Justice Department prosecute a handful of named political opponents is reminiscent of the kind of thing that spurred bipartisan outcry and contributed to Richard Nixon's resignation.
Now it is just a blip in the weekly news cycle. The pace at which Trump is expanding presidential authority to impose his will is accelerating.
On Thursday, Trump signed an order on domestic terrorism and political violence, stating it would investigate wealthy people who fund professional anarchists and agitators. He suggested liberal billionaires George Soros and Reid Hoffman could be among them.
Hours later, the Justice Department announced it had indicted James Comey, the former FBI director and Trump critic whom the president had claimed was guilty as hell just days before.
Trump has justified a looming crackdown on left-wing groups by pointing to shocking acts of violence, including the recent murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on a college campus.
As Trump moves forward, critics warn that such actions threaten the foundational principles of American democracy, with accusations of authoritarianism gaining traction in discussions about the administration's trajectory and its implications for future governance.
