Retribution

Trump publicly demands prosecutions; Comey is indicted days later, the case is thrown out, then he is indicted again

On Sept. 20, 2025 Trump posted a message addressed to Attorney General Pam Bondi naming James Comey, Adam Schiff and Letitia James and ending “JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”. The top federal prosecutor in eastern Virginia, who had doubted the cases, was pushed out; Trump’s former personal lawyer Lindsey Halligan, who had no prosecutorial experience, was sworn in on Sept. 22 and obtained a two-count indictment of Comey on Sept. 25. A judge dismissed it without prejudice on Nov. 24, 2025 after ruling Halligan was unlawfully appointed; the government’s appeal was argued on Sept. 15, 2026 with no ruling found as of early October 2026, and a second indictment (April 28, 2026, over Comey’s “8647” seashell photo) is pending with his motions to dismiss undecided and arraignment postponed to January 2027.

Their response: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the judge acted “to shield James Comey and Letitia James from accountability based on a technical ruling” and that Halligan “was in fact legally appointed”. On the second case, then-Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said: “You are not allowed to threaten the president of the United States.” Comey denies all charges.

Sources: NBC News (text of the Sept. 20 post) · NPR (dismissal ruling, Nov. 24, 2025) · CBS News (second indictment, Apr. 28, 2026) · Bloomberg Law (appeal argued Sept. 15, 2026) · WITN (arraignment delayed to Jan. 2027)

New York attorney general Letitia James is indicted, the case is dismissed, and two grand juries refuse to re-indict

Letitia James, who won a civil fraud case against Trump, was indicted in October 2025 on bank fraud and false-statement charges obtained by Lindsey Halligan alone, after the previous top prosecutor had expressed doubts about the case. The indictment was dismissed on Nov. 24, 2025 because Halligan was unlawfully appointed, and grand juries in Norfolk and Alexandria, Virginia then declined to indict James again in December 2025. The Justice Department’s appeal of the dismissal was argued on Sept. 15, 2026; no ruling had been reported as of early October 2026.

Their response: The Justice Department argued on appeal that James and Comey were “charged by a group of [their] fellow citizens acting independently of [her]”. James called the charges “baseless” and pleaded not guilty.

Sources: NPR (dismissal ruling) · NBC News (grand jury refuses, Dec. 11, 2025) · ABC News (appeal filed, Feb. 2026) · MS NOW (appeal argument, Sept. 15, 2026)

Executive orders punish five law firms; every judge who ruled found them unconstitutional

Between March and April 2025 Trump signed executive orders against Perkins Coie, Paul Weiss, Jenner & Block, WilmerHale and Susman Godfrey, firms tied to his critics or to past investigations of him. The Paul Weiss order was withdrawn after the firm pledged $40 million in free legal work; four different federal judges permanently blocked the other four orders as unconstitutional, the last on June 27, 2025. Judge Beryl Howell wrote that the Perkins Coie order “violates the Constitution and is thus null and void.” The Justice Department moved to drop its appeals on March 2, 2026, reversed itself the next day, and a D.C. appeals court heard the cases on May 14, 2026; no appeals ruling had been reported as of early October 2026.

Their response: The orders were titled “Addressing Risks From” each firm; the Perkins Coie order accuses the firm of “dishonest and dangerous activity”. The order lifting the Paul Weiss sanctions cites the firm’s pledge of “the equivalent of $40 million in pro bono legal services”.

Sources: Federal Register (Executive Order 14230, Perkins Coie) · Federal Register (Paul Weiss order withdrawn) · NBC News (Perkins Coie, May 2, 2025) · NPR (fourth ruling, June 27, 2025) · NBC News (appeal reversal, Mar. 3, 2026) · ABC News (appeal argument, May 14, 2026)

Trump tries to fire Fed governor Lisa Cook; the Supreme Court blocks it and he starts again

Trump announced in August 2025 that he was firing Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook over mortgage-fraud allegations referred by his housing finance director Bill Pulte; no charge against her has been reported, and she denies wrongdoing. On June 29, 2026 the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that Cook can stay in her job while her lawsuit proceeds, saying she was entitled to notice and a chance to respond. On Aug. 5, 2026 the White House formally notified Cook that Trump is “considering” removing her, and her lawyer answered on Aug. 26 that the allegations are “unfounded and untrue”; the matter is unresolved.

Their response: The White House letter cites the mortgage-fraud allegations as grounds for removal. Justice Clarence Thomas, dissenting, called the ruling “incorrect”.

Sources: SCOTUSblog (ruling, June 29, 2026) · CBS News (new removal notice, Aug. 7, 2026) · SCOTUSblog (Cook’s response, Aug. 27, 2026)

Prosecutors opened a criminal probe of Fed chair Powell; a judge found it was meant to pressure him

On Jan. 11, 2026 Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell disclosed that the Justice Department had served the Fed with grand jury subpoenas “threatening a criminal indictment” over his Senate testimony about the renovation of Fed buildings, after months of demands by Trump for lower interest rates. On March 13, 2026 Chief Judge James Boasberg blocked the subpoenas, writing that “the Government has produced essentially zero evidence to suspect Chair Powell of a crime” and that “a mountain of evidence suggests that the Government served these subpoenas on the Board to pressure its Chair into voting for lower interest rates or resigning.” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro dropped the investigation on April 24, 2026, after a Republican senator had blocked Trump’s nominee for Fed chair over it. Powell was never charged, and Kevin Warsh took office as chairman on May 22, 2026.

Their response: Pirro said she had asked the Fed’s inspector general to examine the cost overruns and would “not hesitate to restart a criminal investigation should the facts warrant doing so.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the probe as “not necessarily dropped” but “just being moved over to the inspector general.” Powell called the stated grounds “pretexts.”

Sources: Federal Reserve, statement from Chair Jerome H. Powell (Jan. 11, 2026) · ABC News (April 24, 2026) · NBC News (April 24, 2026) · Federal Reserve Board, Kevin Warsh biography

Pentagon moves to punish Sen. Mark Kelly over a video; a judge blocks it and a grand jury refuses to indict lawmakers

After Sen. Mark Kelly and five other Democratic lawmakers released a video telling service members they can refuse illegal orders, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth moved in January 2026 to censure Kelly, a retired Navy captain, and review his retirement rank. On Feb. 10, 2026 a Washington grand jury declined to indict the lawmakers, and on Feb. 12 Judge Richard Leon blocked the Pentagon action, writing that officials had “trampled on Senator Kelly’s First Amendment freedoms”. The government appealed and a D.C. appeals panel appeared skeptical at a May 7, 2026 hearing; no appeals ruling had been reported as of early October 2026.

Their response: Hegseth called Kelly’s statements “seditious” and wrote after the ruling: “This will be immediately appealed. Sedition is sedition, ‘Captain.’”

Sources: NPR (injunction, Feb. 12, 2026) · BBC (grand jury declines to indict) · CNBC (Hegseth response) · The Guardian / Reuters (appeal hearing, May 7, 2026)

Officials who investigated Trump are themselves investigated: John Brennan, Jack Smith, Fani Willis

Former CIA director John Brennan is the subject of two criminal probes, which CBS reported in May 2026 were both led by the Miami-area U.S. attorney’s office; it reported that the career prosecutor overseeing them was removed after questioning the evidence and replaced by Trump ally Joseph diGenova. DiGenova resigned on Sept. 10, 2026 without charging anyone, and Brennan’s lawyer said that month he had been told the inquiry into Brennan’s statements to Congress was being run from Washington, D.C. Brennan sued on July 1, 2026 to preserve records. Former special counsel Jack Smith has faced a Hatch Act inquiry by the Office of Special Counsel (August 2025) and a criminal referral from House Judiciary chairman Jim Jordan (July 2026). The Justice Department also subpoenaed travel records of Georgia prosecutor Fani Willis in September 2025; none of the three has been reported charged.

Their response: Jordan wrote that Smith “seemingly made willfully and intentionally false statements” to Congress; Trump posted “Justice at last???”. Brennan’s suit calls the allegations “phantom criminal conduct”; Smith told senators on Sept. 29, 2026: “I stand by my decisions as special counsel.”

Sources: CBS News (Brennan probes, May 20, 2026) · PBS / AP (Brennan lawsuit, July 1, 2026) · NBC News (diGenova resigns, Sept. 10, 2026) · NBC News (Brennan subpoena, Sept. 14, 2026) · PBS / AP (Smith Hatch Act inquiry, Aug. 2, 2025) · NPR (Smith criminal referral, July 23, 2026) · ABC News (Smith Senate testimony, Sept. 29, 2026) · NBC News (Willis subpoena, Sept. 27, 2025)

Sen. Adam Schiff investigated for mortgage fraud; prosecutors reportedly found too little evidence

After Trump repeatedly called for Schiff’s prosecution, the Justice Department investigated the senator over mortgage paperwork, based on a tip sent to the Federal Housing Finance Agency. In October 2025 MSNBC reported (relayed by CNBC) that the U.S. attorney for Maryland told superiors the evidence was not strong enough to charge him, and in November 2025 the department began examining how the probe itself had been handled. No charge against Schiff has been reported.

Their response: A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment, citing grand jury secrecy. Schiff said: “This is the kind of stuff you see tinpot dictators do.”

Sources: CNBC (prosecutor’s assessment, Oct. 23, 2025) · CBS News (review of the probe, Nov. 20, 2025) · NBC News (grand jury looks at handling of probe)

Presidential memoranda order investigations of two former officials who contradicted Trump

On April 9, 2025 Trump signed memoranda targeting Chris Krebs, the cybersecurity chief who said the 2020 election was secure, and Miles Taylor, the former Homeland Security official who wrote critically as “Anonymous”. The memoranda stripped their security clearances and directed the Attorney General and Homeland Security to review their conduct; the Homeland Security department later said Krebs was “under active investigation” and revoked his Global Entry travel status. No charges against either man have been reported.

Their response: The Taylor memorandum says his conduct “could properly be characterized as treasonous and as possibly violating the Espionage Act”. The Krebs memorandum, titled “Addressing Risks from Chris Krebs and Government Censorship”, says leaders in government “unlawfully censored speech”.

Sources: White House (Krebs memorandum) · White House (Taylor memorandum) · NBC News (Krebs under investigation, May 2, 2025) · CBS News (Global Entry revoked)

Security clearances and protective details pulled from critics and rivals

On his first day back, Trump signed an order revoking the clearances of the former intelligence officials who signed a 2020 letter about Hunter Biden’s laptop and of John Bolton; a March 22, 2025 memorandum added Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, Liz Cheney, Letitia James, Alvin Bragg and others. Government security details were ended for Anthony Fauci and retired Gen. Mark Milley in January 2025, and Trump ended Harris’s Secret Service protection effective Sept. 1, 2025. These actions are on the public record.

Their response: The March memorandum says it is “no longer in the national interest” for the named people to access classified information. Asked about Fauci and Bolton, Trump said: “They all made a lot of money. They can hire their own security, too.”

Sources: Federal Register (Jan. 20, 2025 order) · White House (Mar. 22, 2025 memorandum) · CBS News / AP (Fauci detail ended) · NPR (Milley detail and clearance) · ABC News (Harris Secret Service detail)

Trump orders an investigation touching ActBlue; prosecutors are told to look at George Soros’s foundation

An April 24, 2025 presidential memorandum directed the Attorney General to investigate alleged straw-donor and foreign contributions through online fundraising platforms, naming ActBlue, and to report back in 180 days. In September 2025 the Justice Department instructed U.S. attorneys to look into George Soros’s Open Society Foundations, according to press reports. No charges against either organization have been reported; ActBlue has separately faced an inquiry by three House committees in 2026.

Their response: The memorandum cites a House investigation finding ActBlue had detected “at least 22 ‘significant fraud campaigns’”. A Justice Department spokesperson said its policy “is generally to neither confirm nor deny the existence of an investigation.” Open Society’s president said it would take legal action to defend itself.

Sources: White House (memorandum, Apr. 24, 2025) · The Guardian (Open Society, Nov. 26, 2025) · ActBlue (its reply to House committees, Apr. 28, 2026)

John Bolton is indicted and pleads guilty to one count of keeping classified information

$2.25M Bolton agreed to pay

Former national security adviser John Bolton, a frequent Trump critic, was indicted in October 2025 on 18 counts of transmitting and retaining national defense information after an FBI search of his home in August 2025. On June 26, 2026 he pleaded guilty to one count of unauthorized retention, agreed to pay $2.25 million and faces up to 60 months in prison, with sentencing set for Oct. 28, 2026. Whether this case is retribution is disputed: NBC reported the investigation began under the Biden administration, while ABC News described it as the only successful prosecution in Trump’s campaign against perceived enemies.

Their response: A Justice Department national security official said the plea “ought to send a message to other public officials whom the public has entrusted with classified, national defense information.” Trump posted: “Hopefully, he will be dealt with harshly!” Bolton’s lawyer said he “took responsibility for a mistake he made”.

Sources: NBC News (guilty plea, June 26, 2026) · ABC News (guilty plea) · NBC News (FBI search, Aug. 22, 2025)

Universities agreed to pay $406 million to get frozen federal funding back

$406M agreed by Columbia, Northwestern, Cornell and Brown

After the administration froze research funding over antisemitism and diversity complaints, between July and November 2025 Columbia agreed to pay about $221 million, Brown $50 million (to workforce groups, over 10 years), Cornell $60 million (half to the government) and Northwestern $75 million; the University of Virginia made a policy deal with no payment. Harvard sued instead, and a federal judge ruled in September 2025 that the government illegally froze more than $2 billion; the government appealed. On Aug. 13, 2026 another judge dismissed the administration’s separate antisemitism lawsuit against Harvard.

Their response: The administration says the schools tolerated antisemitism or unlawful diversity practices. After the 2026 Harvard dismissal, Justice Department civil rights chief Harmeet Dhillon said: “We disagree with the ruling and are assessing next steps.” The head of the professors’ association AAUP called the settlements “extortion”.

Sources: NPR (settlement amounts, Jan. 29, 2026) · The Guardian (Harvard lawsuit dismissed, Aug. 13, 2026)

Trump fires the Bureau of Labor Statistics chief hours after a weak jobs report

On Aug. 1, 2025, after a report showed just 73,000 jobs added in July and earlier months revised down, Trump said he was firing Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner Erika McEntarfer. He offered no evidence for his claim that the figures were manipulated; NPR described the claims as baseless. Her term had been due to run until early 2028, though the law lets a president remove the commissioner.

Their response: Trump wrote that the numbers “were RIGGED in order to make the Republicans, and ME, look bad” and that “Important numbers like this must be fair and accurate, they can’t be manipulated for political purposes.”

Sources: NPR (Aug. 1, 2025)