Trump’s Pledge to Prosecute Political Opponents Alarms Prosecutors, Survey Finds
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Donald Trump’s promises to prosecute his political enemies if re-elected have raised serious concerns among the vast majority of current and former prosecutors, according to a survey conducted by The New York Times. Trump, who claims to be the victim of politically motivated prosecutions, has vowed to pursue charges against his adversaries, sparking fears about the future of the Justice Department under a second Trump presidency.
The New York Times reached out to around 160 legal insiders, including every living U.S. attorney general, numerous former U.S. attorneys, and White House counsels, many of whom had served under multiple administrations. A group of 50 legal experts, evenly split between Democratic and Republican appointees, participated in the survey. Among them were officials appointed by Trump himself, adding significant weight to the concerns expressed.
An overwhelming majority of respondents voiced alarm about the potential impact of a second Trump term on the Justice Department. The survey revealed that “42 of the 50 former officials said it was very likely or likely that a second Trump term would pose a significant threat to the norm of keeping criminal enforcement free of White House influence.”
Moreover, the survey indicated that Trump would likely act on his promises to politicize the Justice Department. “Thirty-nine of the respondents—most from both sides of the aisle—said it was likely or very likely that if re-elected, Trump would follow through on ordering the Justice Department to conduct specific investigations,” the report stated. Six others said it was possible he would pursue such actions.
The concerns span the political spectrum, with both conservative and liberal legal experts expressing fears about Trump’s potential to undermine the rule of law. “There is every reason to believe that Donald Trump would seek to use criminal enforcement and the F.B.I. as leverage for his personal and political ends in a second term,” said Peter Keisler, co-founder of the conservative Federalist Society and former assistant attorney general under President George W. Bush.
Keisler and others argue that the risks posed by Trump’s re-election are more concrete and immediate than any seen in recent history. The survey highlights the growing unease within the legal community about the future of the Justice Department and the rule of law in the event of another Trump presidency.
