Sen. Elissa Slotkin’s Remarks on Trump Administration Prosecutions

During a recent appearance at the University of Chicago, Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) expressed her desire for future prosecutions of individuals from the Trump administration to dissuade young people from seeking jobs in government roles related to that era.

Speaking at the Institute of Politics, Slotkin made her comments during a live taping of Vox’s podcast, America, Actually!, hosted by Astead Herndon. A clip of this discussion has been circulating on social media.

Slotkin emphasized her intention to explore what she referred to as “signature cases,” aiming to hold not only the former president accountable but also those who supported him:

“I want to look at these signature cases and not just focus on the president, but on the people who enabled him,” she stated. “I want young professionals coming out of school to think about whether to work for the Trump administration. I want them to reflect that, yes, it could be exciting, but, perhaps, they would also be stepping into a situation that might bring a lot of complications I’d prefer to avoid. That’s the message I want to send.”

The account that shared the video, @ThinkerChicago, suggested that Slotkin hopes the planned legal actions will push young conservatives away from pursuing careers in politics altogether.

In a speech given on September 30 at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Slotkin had previously argued that Democrats should pursue legal action against Trump officials if they regain control of Congress, likening the initiative to post-authoritarian efforts seen in parts of Europe.

“In Poland, they called this plan the Iron Broom, cleaning the place up,” she noted. “The aim is to identify signature cases that address the most glaring and damaging misuse of taxpayer funds.”

In her earlier address, Slotkin specifically mentioned figures such as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, asserting they should be held accountable for their actions, pointing out that misusing taxpayer money “can lead to a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.”

These comments come after a previous investigation by the Trump Justice Department, which targeted Slotkin herself. Pirro’s office sought to charge her and five other Democratic lawmakers for a short video encouraging military members to reject unlawful orders—a move that Trump condemned as “seditious” and deserving the death penalty. In February, a federal grand jury opted not to indict her.