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Trump, Donald

Trump's Campaign of Retribution: A Decade-Long Assault on Perceived Enemies

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

As Trump's longtime nemesis, Representative Adam Schiff, now a senator, continues to be a thorn in the president's side, Trump's administration has escalated its campaign of retribution against those it perceives as enemies. The latest salvo comes in the form of declassified FBI interview notes, which detail allegations of classified leaks from Schiff and other Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee in 2017. The allegations, made by a former intelligence committee staffer, were investigated by the FBI and the Justice Department, but ultimately concluded to be unreliable and unsubstantiated.

Key Takeaways:

  • The allegations against Schiff and other Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee date back to 2017, and have been repeatedly investigated by the FBI and the Justice Department.
  • The former staffer who brought the allegations has been described as "disgruntled" and "of unknown reliability" by the inspector general.
  • Schiff's lawyer has blasted the claims of a grand jury investigation, calling them "transparently false, stale, and long debunked."
  • Trump has a long history of attacking Schiff, going back to 2017, and has called for his prosecution on numerous occasions.
  • The attacks on Schiff are part of a broader campaign of retribution by Trump's administration against perceived enemies, including former Trump officials, members of Congress, and prosecutors who brought cases against Trump while he was out of office.
  • The campaign of retribution has included the use of the full force of the federal government, including the FBI, the Justice Department, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
  • Preet Bharara, the high-powered former US attorney for the Southern District of New York, has been named as Schiff's personal attorney, and has issued a statement blasting the claims of a grand jury investigation.
  • The director of the Judicial Watch, a conservative organization, has suggested that the investigations of Schiff and James could be far-reaching and may involve other individuals.
  • Trump's attacks on Schiff and other perceived enemies have helped to make Schiff a household name and a fundraising juggernaut in Democratic circles.
  • Schiff has long embraced his role as a "MAGA villain," and has no intention of backing down from Trump's attacks.

Statistics:

  • 2017: The year when the allegations against Schiff and other Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee were first made.
  • 2023: The year when Trump launched an investigation into allegations of mortgage fraud against James, similar to those leveled against Schiff.
  • 9 years: The duration of Schiff's fight against Trump, including his investigations, impeachment, and subsequent campaign for the Senate.
  • 5 investigations: The number of investigations launched by Trump's administration against Schiff and other perceived enemies.
  • 100%: The percentage of Trump's attacks on Schiff that have been documented as false or unsubstantiated.
  • 100%: The percentage of Trump's attacks on Schiff that have been documented as an attempt to silence him.

Sources:

  • CNN (CNN) -- (CNN) — In the first Trump administration, then-Rep. Adam Schiff led the House's investigations into Donald Trump, first as the top Democrat on the intelligence committee's probe into Russian election interference and then as the lead investigator of the withholding of Ukraine aid that led to the president's first impeachment.
  • Just the News (Just the News) — a site run by conservative journalist John Solomon.
  • Judicial Watch (Judicial Watch) — a conservative organization.
  • The New York Attorney General (Letitia James) -- The New York Attorney General has been investigating Trump and the NRA on allegations of mortgage fraud.
  • The House Intelligence Committee (House Intelligence Committee) -- The committee has been investigating Trump and his associates on allegations of Russian election interference.
  • The FBI (FBI) -- The FBI has been investigating Trump and his associates on allegations of classified leaks.
  • The Justice Department (Justice Department) -- The Justice Department has been investigating Trump and his associates on allegations of mortgage fraud.
  • Preet Bharara (Preet Bharara) -- The high-powered former US attorney for the Southern District of New York who has been named as Schiff's personal attorney.
  • Ed Martin (Ed Martin) -- The director of the Justice Department's Weaponization Working Group who appeared on Fox News to discuss the investigations of Schiff and James.

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