Trump uses government powers to target perceived enemies

Summary

Consider This from NPR: Trump Uses Government Powers to Target Perceived Enemies
Release Date: April 29, 2025
Host: Mary Louise Kelly

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Introduction

In the April 29, 2025 episode of Consider This from NPR, host Mary Louise Kelly delves into President Donald Trump's second administration's apparent use of government authority to target individuals and institutions deemed as adversaries. This episode meticulously examines the breadth of Trump's actions, their legal and societal implications, and the responses from various stakeholders.

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Trump's Retaliation Agenda

Mary Louise Kelly opens the discussion by highlighting Trump's campaign promises of "payback" and illustrating how these have materialized within his administration. She states:

“Trump has used government power to target more than 100 people and institutions across American society, and they are all feeling the consequences.”
[00:16]

Tom Dreisbach, NPR's correspondent, provides an overview of Trump's aggressive agenda, noting that the President has been actively retaliating against perceived enemies since re-entering the Oval Office in January. This retaliatory strategy includes criminal investigations, attempted deportations, and firings.

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Case Studies: Specific Targets and Actions

1. Legal Firms and Political Opponents

One of the administration's first actions involved targeting the law firm Sussman Godfrey, noted for suing several Trump allies for defamation. During a meeting on April 9th, Trump declared:

“There were some very bad things that happened with these law firms.”
[02:48]

Mark Zaid, a private attorney previously branded by Trump, experienced a revocation of his security clearance without due process:

“Any due process, without any notification of why my clearance was revoked...”
[06:19]

Zaid accuses the administration of targeting lawyers to undermine the rule of law, stating:

“Because we are upholding the rule of law, and so long as the court system functions, we can damper, hinder, slow down, if not stop what he's trying to do.”
[06:49]

2. Former Officials and Whistleblowers

Miles Taylor, a former Trump administration official who publicly criticized Trump, faced a presidential memorandum that labeled him guilty of treason:

“I think he's guilty of treason, if you want to know the truth. But we'll find out.”
[03:08]

Similarly, Christopher Krebs, former head of CISA, was targeted following his defense of the 2020 election's integrity. Trump asserted:

“He's the fraud. He's a disgrace. So we'll find out whether or not it was a safe election, and if it wasn't, he's got a big price to pay.”
[03:37]

3. Federal Prosecutors and Legal Actions

Sean Brennan, a federal prosecutor involved in January 6th cases, was terminated for his work, which Trump deemed as perpetrating a "grave national injustice":

“I was retaliated against for taking actions that were well within the law, but that were politically unfavorable to the people in charge.”
[05:41]

Furthermore, the Trump administration launched investigations into over a dozen prosecutors, alleging unethical or illegal conduct.

4. Political Opponents and Lawmakers

Robert Garcia, a Democratic Congressman from California, received a threatening letter after criticizing the administration:

“This is totally insane... Trump's DOJ, the U.S. attorney should not be using their office to intimidate people and certainly not trying to use the office to silence the opposition.”
[08:09]

Garcia emphasizes the administration's attempts to coerce political opponents and silence dissent.

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Legal and Judicial Responses

Not all of Trump's orders have withstood judicial scrutiny. For instance, the order against Sussman Godfrey was deemed unconstitutional by a federal judge, who remarked:

“The country's founders would see it as a shocking abuse of power.”
[04:44]

Despite some setbacks, Trump continues to push his agenda, dismissing judicial pushback by labeling dissenting judges as:

“Some judges are deranged... no one is above the law.”
[09:28]

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Impact on Fundamental Rights and Society

Amanda Carpenter, a conservative and former aide to Senator Ted Cruz, argues that Trump's actions constitute an assault on fundamental rights across various sectors:

“Whether that's the media, whether it's academia, whether it's immigration. Donald Trump is working at a very rapid pace to exercise control and command over that area.”
[04:32]

She views these measures as part of a broader strategy to seize power and eliminate opposition.

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Administration's Defense and Public Statements

Despite mounting criticism, the Trump administration publicly defends its actions as efforts toward accountability. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated to Fox News:

“No one is above the law.”
[09:13]

However, the administration's narrative often conflicts with the experiences and testimonies of those targeted, highlighting a deepening polarization.

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Conclusion

The episode of Consider This paints a comprehensive picture of Trump’s second term, characterized by an assertive use of governmental power to target a wide array of individuals and institutions. Through legal actions, firings, and investigations, Trump's administration appears intent on restructuring the political and social landscape according to his vision. The response from legal experts, former officials, and political figures underscores significant concerns about the erosion of checks and balances, the rule of law, and fundamental democratic principles.

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Notable Quotes Highlighted

• Donald Trump [00:04]:
  “I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution. I am your retribution.”

• Amanda Carpenter [04:32]:
  “Whether that's the media, whether it's academia, whether it's immigration. Donald Trump is working at a very rapid pace to exercise control and command over that area.”

• Sean Brennan [05:41]:
  “I was retaliated against for taking actions that were well within the law, but that were politically unfavorable to the people in charge.”

• Mark Zaid [06:49]:
  “Because we are upholding the rule of law, and so long as the court system functions, we can damper, hinder, slow down, if not stop what he's trying to do.”

• Robert Garcia [08:09]:
  “This is totally insane... Trump's DOJ, the U.S. attorney should not be using their office to intimidate people and certainly not trying to use the office to silence the opposition.”

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Further Context and Analysis

This episode underscores the tension between executive power and democratic safeguards. By targeting a diverse group of opponents—from legal professionals and former officials to lawmakers and media organizations—Trump’s administration challenges traditional norms of political conduct and raises critical questions about the future of governance and civil liberties in the United States.

For listeners seeking an in-depth exploration of these developments, the episode offers a timely and thorough examination, enriched by firsthand accounts and expert insights.

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Produced by Monika Evstatieva and Erica Ryan with audio engineering by Damien Herring. Edited by Barry Hardiman and Courtney Dorning. Executive Producer: Sammy Yenigun.

Transcript

[Mary Louise Kelly]

President Trump campaigned for the White House promising payback.

[Donald Trump]

I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution. I am your retribution.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

That was Trump in 2023. Well, now, 100 days into the second Trump administration, it has become clear that was not just talk. Consider this. Trump has used government power to target more than 100 people and institutions across American society, and they are all feeling the consequences. From npr, I'm Mary Louise Kelly.

[Tom Dreisbach]

On the Indicator from Planet Money podcast. We're here to help you make sense of the economic news from Trump.

[Sean Brennan]

Tariffs, it's called in game theory a trigger strategy or sometimes called grim trigger, which sort of has a cowboy esque.

[Tom Dreisbach]

Ring to it to what exactly a sovereign wealth fund is. For insight Every weekday, listen to NPR's the Indicator from Planet Money at NPR's.

[Pop Culture Happy Hour Host]

Pop Culture Happy Hour. We sort through a lot of television and we've found some recent TV comedies we really like that you don't want to miss. And we'll tell you where to watch them in one handy guide. Listen to the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast from npr. There was Barbenheimer Summer, then Bratz Summer. What will this season bring? Maybe it's the season of actual good superhero movies like the Fantastic Four and Superman. For a guide to the movies and TV we're most excited about this summer, listen to the Pop Culture Happy hour podcast from NPR.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

It's consider this from NPR. NPR's Tom Dreisbach has been following President Trump's efforts to retaliate against his perceived enemies since he returned to the Oval Office in January. Dreisbach found that Trump's targets are already facing the consequences, including criminal investigations, attempted deportations and firings. Tom picks up the story from here.

[Tom Dreisbach]

To get a sense of President Trump's agenda, take the events of just one day, April 9th.

[Donald Trump]

Thank you very much. Appreciate it.

[Tom Dreisbach]

We just had Trump was in the Oval Office holding a black Sharpie. The White House staff secretary, Will Scharf, was handing Trump a set of orders targeting the president's enemies against Sussman Godfrey.

[Mark Zaid]

To ensure that they can't access government resources, government buildings, given their previous activities.

[Tom Dreisbach]

Sussman Godfrey is a law firm whose previous activities include suing several Trump allies for defamation.

[Donald Trump]

There were some very bad things that happened with these law firms.

[Tom Dreisbach]

The next target, the next presidential memorandum.

[Mark Zaid]

We have for you, relates to Miles Taylor.

[Tom Dreisbach]

Miles Taylor served in the first Trump administration. He crossed Trump when he anonymously wrote a scathing op ed that called Trump an amoral agent of Chaos.

[Donald Trump]

I think he's guilty of treason, if you want to know the truth. But we'll find out. And I assume we're recommending this to the Department of Justice?

[Robert Garcia]

Yes, sir.

[Tom Dreisbach]

Trump kept going.

[Donald Trump]

Terrible guy.

[Mark Zaid]

Similarly, Sir, Christopher Krebs, the former head of cisa.

[Tom Dreisbach]

Christopher Krebs was the top cybersecurity official in the first Trump administration, and Trump fired him for saying the 2020 election was safe and secure. Now Trump is ordering the government to investigate Krebs, too.

[Donald Trump]

He's the fraud. He's a disgrace. So we'll find out whether or not it was a safe election, and if it wasn't, he's got a big price to pay.

[Tom Dreisbach]

That was all in the span of just 10 minutes in the Oval Office on April 9. But Trump's retribution agenda started on day one. NPR has found that Trump is using the government to investigate or otherwise punish more than 100 people or institutions, including political opponents, former officials, student protesters, law firms, universities, news organizations, and people who investigated him or his allies.

[Amanda Carpenter]

What you see here is just an assault on our most fundamental rights almost in every single sector.

[Tom Dreisbach]

Amanda Carpenter is a conservative and a former aide to Senator Ted Cruz. She now works with the nonprofit Protect Democracy and says Trump's actions are about seizing power and punishing anyone who stands in his way.

[Amanda Carpenter]

Whether that's the media, whether it's academia, whether it's immigration. Donald Trump is working at a very rapid pace to exercise control and command over that area.

[Tom Dreisbach]

Trump's orders have not all held up like the order against Sussman Godfrey. A federal judge found that order unconstitutional, saying the country's founders would see it as a shocking abuse of power. But the courts did not protect Sean Brennan. Brennan was a federal prosecutor. He worked on dozens of January 6th cases. On inauguration Day, Trump issued mass pardons to the January 6th defendants. Even the most violent. He said they were treated unfairly. Not long after, Brennan got an email from his new boss at the Justice Department.

[Sean Brennan]

I was being terminated specifically for my work on January 6th cases, which it characterized as perpetrating a grave national injustice against the American people.

[Tom Dreisbach]

More than a dozen other January 6th prosecutors were fired. And they don't just face unemployment. The Justice Department is now investigating them, too, for possible unethical or even illegal conduct. Do you believe you were retaliated against?

[Sean Brennan]

Yeah, I don't think there's anything that could be clearer. I was retaliated against for taking actions that were well within the law, but that were politically unfavorable to the people in charge.

[Tom Dreisbach]

Mark Zaid is a private attorney. He's also been on the wrong side of Trump. Back in 2019, Zaid represented an anonymous government whistleblower who filed a complaint that helped lead to Trump's first impeachment. At the time, Trump called Zaid a sleazeball attorney, said he should be investigated for fraud. Now that he's back in office, Trump has issued a White House memo targeting Zaid and revoking his security clearance without.

[Mark Zaid]

Any due process, without any notification of why my clearance was revoked, and without.

[Tom Dreisbach]

That clearance, Zaid can't work on the national security cases that are his bread and butter. Lawyers and law firms have been some of Trump's top targets. The administration has taken action against more than a dozen firms. They cite the fact that the firms have taken cases on, for example, transgender rights or hired lawyers who previously investigated Trump. And Zaid says there's another reason why Trump is going after lawyers.

[Mark Zaid]

Because we are upholding the rule of law, and so long as the court system functions, we can damper, hinder, slow down, if not stop what he's trying to do.

[Tom Dreisbach]

Some firms have made deals with the administration and agreed to do tens of millions of dollars worth of pro bono work for causes Trump supports. The White House bragged that Big Law was bending the knee to Trump. A federal judge said those deals amounted to unconstitutional government coercion. Congressman Robert Garcia is a Democrat from California. He says the Trump administration is trying to coerce political opponents, too.

[Robert Garcia]

I'm a pretty outspoken member of Congress, and they wanted to silence me.

[Tom Dreisbach]

Garcia's story starts in February when he went on CNN and said Democrats needed to fight harder against Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency.

[Robert Garcia]

And what the American public want is for us to bring actual weapons to this bar fight. This is an actual fight for democracy.

[Tom Dreisbach]

Garcia says he was speaking metaphorically, but Trump's top federal Prosecutor in Washington, D.C. ed Martin sent Garcia a letter, asked him to clarify his comments within one week, adding, quote, we take threats against public officials very seriously. Just what was your first reaction when you got that letter?

[Robert Garcia]

I mean, my first reaction was, this is totally insane. And then immediately I got angry and I thought, you know, Trump's DOJ, the U.S. attorney should not be using their office to intimidate people and certainly not trying to use the office to silence the opposition.

[Tom Dreisbach]

The Trump Justice Department has gone even further with other Democrats and announced a criminal investigation into the Governor and Attorney General of New Jersey over immigration policy, along with political targets. Pro Palestinian students from abroad have been arrested and are fighting deportation. Media outlets the administration dislikes are facing FCC investigation, including npr. For weeks, we asked the White House for an interview for this story. They did not respond.

[Donald Trump]

Never again will the immense power of the state be weaponized to persecute political opponents.

[Tom Dreisbach]

Publicly, the administration claims that Trump has kept this promise from his inaugural address.

[Donald Trump]

Again, under my leadership, we will restore fair, equal and impartial justice under the constitutional rule of law.

[Tom Dreisbach]

And when Trump has targeted his political opponents these last hundred days, the administration says it's about accountability. Just last week, the FBI arrested a Wisconsin judge for allegedly obstructing ICE agents. The judge denies the charges. Democrats warn that Trump is trying to intimidate the judiciary. Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News that some judges are, quote, deranged, adding, no one is above the law. Tom Dreisbach, NPR News.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

This episode was produced by Monika Evstatieva and Erica Ryan with audio engineering by Damien Herring. It was edited by Barry Hardiman and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sammy Yenigun. It's Consider this from npr. I'm Mary Louise Kelly.

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[Tom Dreisbach]

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[Mary Louise Kelly]

What you looking for?

[Tom Dreisbach]

The stupid guy here, they're all smart.

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[NPR Politics Podcast Host]

First impressions are always important. That's not just for dates or for your in laws. At the NPR Politics Podcast, we know that first impressions are important for any presidential term, too. So all this month, we're reviewing the first 100 days of Donald Trump's second stint, what's been done, what's to come and what might change. Politics may not always make sense, but we'll sort it out for you over on the NPR Politics Podcast.

[Amanda Carpenter]

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