President Donald Trump intensified his rhetoric against political opponents during a Sept. 21 appearance at a memorial for conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Arizona.
Before tens of thousands of mourners, Trump contrasted his own hostility toward rivals with Kirk’s more forgiving approach, declaring, “I hate my opponent, and I don’t want the best for them.”
The comments came a day after Trump publicly demanded that Attorney General Pam Bondi pursue criminal charges against several longtime critics, including former FBI Director James Comey, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Allegations of Weaponizing the DOJ
Critics argue Trump is undermining democratic norms by attempting to politicize the Department of Justice. Marc Elias, founder of the election litigation group Democracy Docket, warned that Trump has “turned the Department of Justice into his personal legal arsenal.”
The White House pushed back on accusations of politicization. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt argued that the real weaponization occurred under President Joe Biden, pointing to special counsel Jack Smith’s prosecutions of Trump over Jan. 6 and classified documents.
Historical Pattern of Pressure on Attorneys General
Trump’s actions echo his first administration, when he frequently clashed with attorneys general who resisted his demands. He fired Jeff Sessions in 2018 after repeated frustrations and later turned against William Barr for rejecting false claims of widespread voter fraud.
Most recently, Trump claimed he dismissed acting U.S. attorney Erik Siebert after Siebert declined to pursue a mortgage fraud investigation into Letitia James.
Divisions in Congress and GOP Reactions
Democrats denounced Trump’s latest push as a threat to the rule of law. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) called it “tyranny… if such abjectly abusive prosecutions are permitted.”
While most Republicans have backed Trump, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) expressed unease, warning that overt calls for prosecutions deepen politicization of the judiciary: “We need to get politics out of the judicial system as much as we can.”
Supporters Rally Behind Trump
MAGA allies defended Trump, framing his demands as justified retribution against adversaries they say tried to destroy him politically and personally. Steve Bannon, a former White House strategist, told listeners that Trump had finally “dropped the hammer” after years of excuses from the DOJ.
Leavitt reiterated that Trump continues to support AG Bondi “100%,” though questions linger about what would happen if she cannot find sufficient evidence to bring charges.
