With just two weeks remaining until the presidential election, former President Donald Trump has used his most recent appearances on podcast and cable interviews to escalate attacks on fellow Americans whom he calls 鈥渢he enemy from within.鈥�
In one recent interview, Trump said that if 鈥渞adical left lunatics鈥� disrupt the election, 鈥渋t should be very easily handled by 鈥� if necessary, by National Guard, or if really necessary, by the military.鈥�
That statement, on , was not the first time Trump has expressed support for using government force against domestic political rivals. Since 2022, when he began preparing for the presidential campaign, Trump has issued more than 100 threats to investigate, prosecute, imprison or otherwise punish his perceived opponents, NPR has found.
A review of Trump鈥檚 rally speeches, press conferences, interviews and social media posts shows that the former president has repeatedly indicated that he would use federal law enforcement as part of a campaign to exact 鈥�.鈥�
Vice President Kamala Harris 鈥渟hould be impeached and prosecuted,鈥� Trump at a rally last month.
鈥淚 will appoint a real special prosecutor to go after the most corrupt president in the history of the United States of America, Joe Biden, and the entire Biden crime family,鈥� Trump last year.
鈥淓LIZABETH LYNNE CHENEY IS GUILTY OF TREASON,鈥� reads one Trump reposted on his social media site, Truth Social, regarding the former Republican congresswoman. 鈥淩ETRUTH IF YOU WANT TELEVISED MILITARY TRIBUNALS.鈥�
Journalists who decline to identify the sources of leaked information would also face imprisonment, Trump said.
鈥淚f the reporter doesn't want to tell you, it's 鈥榖ye-bye,鈥� the reporter goes to jail,鈥� Trump in 2022. He appeared to that the reporter could also face sexual assault while in custody.
Trump and his allies have either downplayed these threats, or said that these actions would be justified, in part, because of the four criminal prosecutions brought against Trump since he left office. In one of those cases, a New York jury found Trump guilty of in connection with hush money he paid to keep an alleged affair with adult film actress Stormy Daniels secret. He is appealing that verdict.
When right-wing radio host Glenn Beck asked Trump if he would lock up his opponents in a second term, Trump , 鈥淭he answer is you have no choice because they鈥檙e doing it to us.鈥�
Legal experts said that there are few guardrails preventing Trump from pursuing his plans to prosecute opponents and noted that Trump pressured the Department of Justice to investigate rivals during his first term. In about a dozen cases, the Justice Department followed through and initiated investigations, according to one .
If Trump follows through on his stated plans in a second term, these experts said, his actions could endanger Americans鈥� civil liberties and cause a chilling effect on criticism of the president. The threats he鈥檚 made have already led some of his targets to prepare for the worst by saving money and considering whether to leave the country if Trump wins the election.
鈥淭his is how autocrats cement their permanent grip on power,鈥� said Ian Bassin, the executive director of the nonprofit group Protect Democracy, which advocates for protections against authoritarianism.
Many of Trump鈥檚 threats relate to his persistent false claims about election fraud and the lie that he won the 2020 election.
鈥淪TART ARRESTING THE POLL WORKERS AND WATCH HOW FAST THEY TELL YOU WHO TOLD THEM TO CHEAT,鈥� reads a message Trump on social media in 2023.
He has also repeatedly targeted the prosecutors, judges and even courtroom staff connected to the prosecutions against him for alleged election interference, improperly holding classified documents and business fraud.
New York Attorney General Letitia James and Judge Arthur Engoron 鈥渟hould be arrested and punished accordingly,鈥� Trump said at a rally in January. James successfully brought a case against Trump, which Engoron presided over. Trump is appealing the judgment against him. He also attacking a member of the Georgia grand jury that indicted him.
Among the other targets of Trump鈥檚 threats are former President (鈥�RETRUTH IF YOU WANT PUBLIC MILITARY TRIBUNALS鈥�), members of the who defended the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot (鈥�The cops should be charged and the protesters should be freed鈥�), members of the in Congress (鈥�They should be prosecuted for their lies and, quite frankly, TREASON!鈥�), Facebook founder (鈥�We are watching him closely, and if he does anything illegal this time he will spend the rest of his life in prison鈥�), who criticize the Supreme Court (鈥�These people should be put in jail, the way they talk about our judges and our justices鈥�) and who burn the American flag (鈥�You should get a one-year jail sentence if you desecrate the American flag鈥�).
In one instance, Trump suggested that Gen. Mark Milley, who served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in his administration, could face execution for to try and defuse tensions in the chaotic aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack.
鈥淭his is an act so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH!鈥� Trump on Truth Social.
Milley, who retired in 2023, has since journalist Bob Woodward that Trump is 鈥渇ascist to the core鈥� and 鈥渢he most dangerous person to this country.鈥�
In addition to using the powers under criminal law, Trump has also to take greater control of agencies like the Federal Communications Commission, which regulates broadcast television and radio, including NPR鈥檚 network of member stations.
After his presidential debate against Harris on ABC News, Trump for the FCC to revoke ABC鈥檚 broadcast license, due to his perception of the moderators鈥� bias. He also called for an of CBS News for campaign finance violations after it aired an interview with Vice President Harris. He鈥檚 previously pulling the license for NBC, as well, over criticisms of its news coverage.
鈥淚 absolutely think he will follow up on those threats,鈥� said Stephanie Grisham, who worked for Trump鈥檚 2016 presidential campaign and served as his White House press secretary. Grisham resigned in the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and has since become a vocal critic of her former boss.
鈥淚 just know that once he's in office with no guardrails, no reason to worry about reelection, and only the most fervent, loyal people surrounding him,鈥� Grisham said, 鈥渉e will absolutely make sure his enemies pay for what he perceives to be their crimes.鈥�
John Bolton, who served as national security adviser in the Trump White House, earlier this year that he believed Trump would use the Department of Justice to enact a 鈥渞etribution presidency.鈥�
In response to NPR鈥檚 reporting, the Republican National Committee issued a statement.
鈥淜amala Harris is the threat to democracy,鈥� said RNC spokesperson Anna Kelly. 鈥淪he and Joe Biden weaponized our justice system in order to sway an election.鈥�
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Trump鈥檚 claims of a 鈥渨itch hunt鈥�
Amid this flood of threats against his opponents, Trump has repeatedly accused the Biden administration of 鈥渨eaponizing鈥� the Justice Department and subjecting him to 鈥減olitical persecution鈥� and a 鈥渨itch hunt.鈥�
Judges presiding over Trump鈥檚 criminal cases have rejected those arguments.
Biden did that subjects of the Jan. 6 Select Committee鈥檚 investigation should face prosecution for defying subpoenas. He later said that comment was 鈥渋nappropriate.鈥� But there鈥檚 no evidence that Biden has directed the federal cases against Trump. Those cases are being led by special counsel Jack Smith.
During Biden鈥檚 presidency, the Justice Department has also brought prosecutions against several high-profile Democrats, including former New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez and New York Mayor Eric Adams, as well as the president鈥檚 son, Hunter Biden.
Vice President Harris has generally avoided commenting on Trump鈥檚 federal criminal cases. When supporters at recent campaign rallies started chanting 鈥渓ock him up,鈥� she , 鈥淲e鈥檙e gonna let the courts handle that.鈥�
Could Trump actually order prosecutions of his enemies?
After the widespread abuses of presidential power by Richard Nixon, subsequent administrations to give the Department of Justice more independence from the White House, in part to insulate the agency from electoral politics.
But legal experts and former government officials said those rules and norms can be overturned or ignored.
鈥淭here are not really legal restrictions or even structural restrictions that would stop the president, if he were to appoint loyalists to be the lead prosecutors in all 93 jurisdictions around the country, from simply directing them to go and investigate his perceived opponents,鈥� said Bassin, who also served as associate White House counsel in the Obama administration. 鈥淚f he appointed a loyal director of the FBI, he would be able to make life pretty miserable for the people he is targeting.鈥�
Trump has said he the 鈥渕ost ferocious legal warriors against crime and Communist corruption that this country has ever seen.鈥�
Trump鈥檚 allies have also to weaken or even from the White House if he returns to office, which would give Trump and his political appointees greater ability to direct the federal prosecutions.
鈥淭he president has the authority under the Constitution to conduct law enforcement,鈥� Russ Vought, a former Trump administration official and a leader of the Heritage Foundation鈥檚 blueprint, told NPR last year. Vought added that 鈥淚 think you can absolutely trust Donald Trump鈥� not to use the Justice Department for partisan purposes.
The Supreme Court also recently removed one potential guardrail preventing political prosecutions in its on Trump鈥檚 claim of presidential immunity.
鈥淥ne of the most remarkable lines in that Supreme Court opinion is that a sitting president could order their Justice Department to engage in a 鈥榮ham鈥� investigation,鈥� said Ryan Goodman, a law professor at New York University. 鈥淪o a president would not have to fear criminal accountability for ordering a sham investigation of their perceived enemies.鈥�
One final check against political prosecutions is the judicial branch. Judges can refuse to authorize search and arrest warrants. If an investigation leads to an actual prosecution, judges can also dismiss charges and juries can acquit defendants. But the process alone can do significant damage to a target鈥檚 reputation and finances, regardless of the final outcome. And both Trump and running mate JD Vance have suggested they might ignore the judiciary鈥檚 decisions.
Trump on Truth Social that 鈥渕assive fraud鈥� in the 2020 election justified 鈥渢he termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution.鈥� In a 2021 interview, Vance said Trump should if they constrain the administration鈥檚 ability to replace career officials with political loyalists.
鈥淢uch of this depends upon the character of the individual in the White House and the character of those surrounding them,鈥� said Goodman, 鈥渂ecause there's so many levers of power that they can use.鈥�
Trump鈥檚 actions in his first term
Trump made the prosecution of Hillary Clinton, his Democratic rival in the 2016 election, a centerpiece of his first presidential campaign. 鈥淟ock her up鈥� became a perennial call-and-response between Trump and his supporters at rallies.
And while the Justice Department under Trump did not ultimately charge Clinton, there鈥檚 substantial evidence that his pressure on prosecutors did have an impact in some cases.
鈥淧resident Trump treated the Department of Justice like his own personal law firm, and he put people in charge there who did his bidding,鈥� said Geoffrey Berman, who served as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York during the Trump administration, in a with WHYY鈥檚 Fresh Air. 鈥淭he Justice Department targeted political enemies of the president and assisted political allies of the president.鈥�
One of Trump鈥檚 most frequent targets in his first term was Andrew McCabe, a longtime FBI official who became the bureau鈥檚 acting director when Trump fired James Comey in 2017.
While in office, Trump attempted to 鈥減urge鈥� the FBI of people he perceived as disloyal, McCabe said in an interview.
Trump repeatedly attacked McCabe, because he was in the leadership of the FBI during the investigation into Russian interference with the 2016 election and because he perceived McCabe as a partisan enemy. McCabe considered himself a moderate Republican, but Trump seized on the fact that McCabe鈥檚 wife had run unsuccessfully for the Virginia state Senate in 2015 as a Democrat.
Trump publicly pressured the department to fire McCabe before he would be eligible to receive retirement benefits, writing on , 鈥淔BI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe is racing the clock to retire with full benefits. 90 days to go?!!!鈥�
鈥淚t was clear to me, he was basically saying, 鈥業'm going to do whatever I can to fire this guy before he can retire,鈥欌�� McCabe said.
Department of Justice leaders demoted and then fired McCabe just hours before that deadline.
鈥淎ndrew McCabe FIRED, a great day for the hard working men and women of the FBI,鈥� Trump . 鈥淎 great day for Democracy.鈥�
Internal investigators at the Justice Department said that McCabe 鈥渓acked candor鈥� about his contacts with journalists 鈥� an allegation McCabe denies 鈥� and federal prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into McCabe that dragged on for nearly two years.
McCabe said he was with his wife and two children when the news of the criminal investigation leaked.
鈥淚t was just an incredibly sad moment and really scary for them, because it was the first time that I think they had ever considered that what had been political nonsense might actually cost me my liberty,鈥� McCabe said. 鈥淎nd it's also humiliating. It's embarrassing.鈥�
Federal Judge Reggie Walton, a George W. Bush appointee, questioned prosecutors over their handling of the case and Trump鈥檚 apparent influence over it.
鈥淚 don't think people like the fact that you got somebody at the top basically trying to dictate whether somebody should be prosecuted,鈥� Walton . 鈥淚 just think it's a banana republic when we go down that road.鈥�
Prosecutors ultimately dropped the case without bringing charges.
McCabe the Department of Justice over his firing. After Trump left office, he received a settlement that restored his back pay, retirement benefits and rank.
McCabe was not the only target, according to an co-written by Goodman. He found 11 other cases in which Trump pushed the Justice Department to investigate his rivals.
鈥淭here is an established track record of Trump having done this before,鈥� said Goodman of NYU. 鈥淚t's not pure rhetoric.鈥�
In one instance described in the Mueller report and cited by Goodman, Trump urged then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to prosecute Hillary Clinton. (Trump also urged prosecution publicly on Twitter.) Federal prosecutors in Utah later opened an investigation into Clinton and the Clinton Foundation without bringing charges. Hillary Clinton remained one of Trump鈥檚 most frequent targets even after he left office. Last year, he reposted a with calls to 鈥渓ock her up鈥� for alleged treason.
The Jan. 6 Select Committee in Congress presented additional evidence of Trump putting pressure on prosecutors to say they found widespread fraud in the 2020 election, despite a lack of evidence.
鈥淲hat I'm just asking you to do is to say it was corrupt and leave the rest to me and the Republican congressmen," Trump told officials in his Justice Department, according to obtained by the select committee.
鈥淭rump was absolutely willing to use the Justice Department for his ends,鈥� former Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger, a member of the select committee, told NPR.
Preparing for the worst
Trump continues to threaten McCabe.
Steve Bannon, who served as Trump鈥檚 chief strategist in the White House and remains a prominent supporter, said on his podcast that McCabe 鈥渟hould be worried鈥� that Trump would go after him if he returns to the White House.
鈥淵ou should be very worried,鈥� Bannon . 鈥淏ut also understand this, brother, we have extradition treaties with virtually every country in the world. And you go ahead and run and run as far as you want. We're going to come and get you." (Bannon is currently serving a four-month prison sentence for and is due to be released at the end of October.)
Trump reposted Bannon鈥檚 comments on Truth Social.
鈥淚t shows you, I think, and in serious terms, a persistent commitment to this idea of 鈥榳e are going on the revenge tour,鈥欌�� McCabe said in response to those comments.
McCabe said he has had difficult conversations with his family about what Trump might do if he returns to the White House, and he knows other former officials who are also contemplating leaving the country.
鈥淚 don't intend to leave the country that I served for 21 years,鈥� McCabe said. 鈥淏ut this kind of pits you against your children and your spouses who just want you to be safe.鈥�
Grisham said she is also making preparations in case Trump returns to the White House 鈥� and saving up money.
Trump has not threatened her with jail time or prosecution, but did attack her in personal terms after she published a book critical of the administration.
鈥淚'm definitely fearful for myself and for many of my friends who have spoken out, too,鈥� Grisham said. 鈥淚t's a terrifying thought, because that is literally the most powerful person in the world that knows you and wants only bad for you. It's truly a terrifying thought.鈥�
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