the political vindictiveness of Donald trump AI Overview News reports on Donald Trump’s second term in 2025 describe him following through on campaign promises of retribution against perceived political adversaries and critics. He is accused of using the powers of the presidency to target more than 100 individuals and institutions through investigations, firings, executive orders, and other punitive

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AI Overview

News reports on Donald Trump’s second term in 2025 describe him following through on campaign promises of retribution against perceived political adversaries and critics. He is accused of using the powers of the presidency to target more than 100 individuals and institutions through investigations, firings, executive orders, and other punitive actions. [1, 2, 3, 4] 
Targeting of political opponents • Encouraging prosecution: Trump has used his position to pressure law enforcement to investigate and charge rivals and critics, including former FBI Director James Comey and former New York Attorney General Letitia James.
• Stripping security clearances: Following his inauguration in 2025, he revoked the security clearances of dozens of former officials who were critical of him, including former CIA Director John Brennan and former National Security Adviser John Bolton.
• Weaponizing federal agencies: Critics allege Trump is attempting to use the Department of Justice, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and other federal agencies to target political foes. A report from October 2025 indicated that Trump allies were compiling lists of progressive organizations for the IRS to investigate. [1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9] 

Executive actions against critics • Targeting law firms: Trump has issued executive orders and memos to punish law firms that have represented Democrats or pursued cases against him. Some firms have capitulated and agreed to his demands, while others have fought back in court.
• Using executive orders: His administration has reportedly used executive orders to block or slow disaster assistance to states with Democratic governors. [10, 11, 12] 

Intimidation through public statements and social media • Rally threats: At rallies and on social media, Trump has made numerous threatening remarks against perceived enemies, including prosecutors, judges, and journalists. He often describes his efforts as “retribution” and has campaigned on the idea of punishing his political enemies.
• Intimidation tactics: Critics and legal analysts point to these actions as attempts to intimidate and silence opponents, erode democratic norms, and undermine the independence of federal institutions. [1, 13, 14, 15, 16] 

The “No Kings” protest • Public opposition: In October 2025, civil liberties groups like the ACLU organized a nationwide “No Kings” protest to object to what they described as Trump’s “escalating abuses of power”. [17] 

Disclaimer: This information is a summary of reporting and commentary on Donald Trump’s actions and is part of a complex and evolving political landscape. It should not be taken as a definitive or exhaustive account.

AI responses may include mistakes.

[1]  youtube.com/watch?v=ocILzg-L…
[2]  cnn.com/2025/01/28/politics/…
[3]  npr.org/2025/04/29/nx-s1-532…
[4]  npr.org/2025/04/29/nx-s1-537…
[5]  scotusblog.com/2025/10/selec…
[6]  reuters.com/legal/government…
[7]  abcnews.go.com/Politics/trum…
[8]  newyorker.com/news/letter-fr…
[9]  forbes.com/sites/howardgleck…
[10]  democracy21.org/news/freds-w…
[11]  eenews.net/articles/trump-re…
[12]  abcnews.go.com/US/list-indiv…
[13]  npr.org/2024/10/21/121159718…
[14]  theguardian.com/commentisfre…
[15]  nytimes.com/2025/04/07/us/po…
[16]  theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv…
[17]  aclu.org/news/civil-libertie…

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Oct 18, 2025