Trump talk turns to revenge post-conviction

Ever since former President Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts last week, revenge has been on his mind for Trump and his allies.

Less than an hour after the ruling, Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) posted on X, “It’s time for Republican Attorneys General and District Attorneys to get busy.”

On Tuesday, Trump told Newsmax that it was “highly likely” Democrats would be indicted in the future. The next day, Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that after he was indicted, “we’re well within our rights to go after them.”

On Thursday, President Trump called for the indictment of members of the House select committee investigating the January 6 attack on the Capitol, after which he said in an interview with Dr. Phil McGraw that “revenge can sometimes be justified.”

The former president has repeatedly said that his ultimate revenge would be a success if he is re-elected in November, and has even suggested that his victory and subsequent policy shifts could unify a deeply divided country.

But after Trump became the first U.S. president to be convicted of a felony, the focus on revenge by Trump and his allies has become harder to ignore, raising fears about what would happen if he recaptures the White House.

“Using our criminal system to prosecute enemies and political opponents is completely antithetical to the fundamental values, laws and norms on which our country is founded,” said Rep. Dan Goldman (R-NY).

“Republicans would like to claim that the various charges against Donald Trump are political, but that is not the case, and there is absolutely no evidence that the Manhattan District Attorney’s decision or the actions of Special Counsel Jack Smith were politically motivated,” he added.

Since the former president was indicted last year in cases in New York, Florida, Georgia and Washington, D.C., he has repeatedly suggested it is acceptable to target his opponents, including saying he would appoint a special counsel to investigate the Biden family.

Republican lawmakers have been lining up with Trump for months, complaining about the various prosecutors bringing charges against him and threatening congressional action and future charges against them.

But since Trump’s conviction, those threats have become more explicit.

Following Trump’s conviction, Republicans have called for cuts to federal funding for the Department of Justice and the FBI, as well as state-level prosecutors such as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, who tried the case in New York, and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who prosecuted Trump in Georgia for trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

The plan’s reach is limited because the federal funds that flow to local prosecutors are primarily grants for policing and violence prevention programs.

But Republicans say that could change if Trump becomes president and puts one of his appointees at the top of the Justice Department.

“I think people think, ‘Oh, he can’t appoint someone to a Cabinet post because he needs Senate confirmation,’ but they forget that at the end of his first term he gamed the system and just appointed someone to be acting secretary,” a former Trump administration official said. “He’s learned some of the mechanics of government and he understands how to bend it to his will.”

In multiple interviews over the past week, media figures have tried to persuade Trump to stop plotting retaliation against his opponents if he wins the presidential election in November, but the former president, infuriated by the conviction and saying he is being targeted for political reasons, has been reluctant to follow their suggestions.

Fox News host Sean Hannity asked Trump if he would “pledge to restore equal justice and equal application of the law” and “end the practice of weaponization.”

“Well, I have to do it. But it’s awful. Look, I know you guys want me to say something nice,” Trump said, “but I don’t want to come across as naive.”

“Dr. Phil” host Phil McGraw suggested the former president had no time to “get back at” his critics.

“Well, revenge takes time, I’ll admit that,” Trump responded, “and sometimes revenge is justified, Phil, I have to be honest with you. Sometimes it is justified.”

Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-Lausanne) said legal experts on all sides of the political aisle had expressed concerns about the lawsuit filed against Trump in New York, but he argued lawmakers’ response should focus on accountability and improving institutions.

“Any action we take should result in a justice system that is more fair and based on the rule of law, rather than a justice system based on settlements,” he said.

Republicans have slammed both Bragg and the judge in the case, but based on instructions agreed to by Trump’s lawyers and prosecutors, the 12-member jury unanimously found Trump guilty of all 34 charges brought against him.

Democrats have strongly pushed back against the idea that President Trump is being unfairly targeted by so-called “loafers” and have pointed to the ongoing federal trial of President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, as evidence that neither party is getting preferential treatment.

“You can’t just love law and order when the defendant doesn’t happen to be from your own party,” said Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif. “So it’s terrible that we’re trying to destroy our institution just because we don’t like the fact that a former president and his allies are being indicted for crimes that they committed.”

President Trump’s obsession with revenge could also be politically damaging.

Biden’s team has already sought to highlight the president’s focus on issues facing Americans and his meetings with world leaders in France this week compared with Trump’s attacks on the justice system, but they also have not shied away from calling Trump a convicted felon.

In recent days, Biden has called Trump and Republicans’ attacks on the justice system “reckless” and “irresponsible” and warned that they were undermining public trust in core institutions.

“Throughout his campaign, Trump has made it clear that he is running for office as an outlet for revenge,” Biden told donors this week. “That’s what he’s said. Now that he’s been convicted, he’s clearly concerned about preserving his freedom.”