President Donald Trump delivered what sounded like one of his typical meandering, grievance-laden campaign speeches on Friday, but it was where he did it 鈥 inside the U.S. Department of Justice 鈥 that mattered.
The marked Trump鈥檚 clearest exertion yet of personal control over the country鈥檚 federal law enforcement apparatus, which is normally run by appointees who keep at least an arm鈥檚 length from the president to avoid the appearance that politics are governing prosecutorial decisions. Trump, instead, embraced the notion of the agency as his own personal tool of vengeance.
鈥淎s the chief law enforcement officer in our country, I will insist upon and demand full and complete accountability for the wrongs and abuses that have occurred,鈥 Trump told the audience, with Attorney General (who is technically the country鈥檚 chief law enforcement officer) and FBI Director in the audience.
One of Trump's favorite campaign songs, 鈥淵MCA,鈥 played after he wrapped up his nearly hourlong address inside the department's ceremonial Great Hall.
Here鈥檚 a look at what Trump said, what the reality is and the significance of his words.
Enemies
鈥淭he same scum you have been dealing with for years. Guys like Andrew Weissman, deranged Jack Smith. There鈥檚 a guy named Norm Eisen, I don鈥檛 even know what he looks like. His name is Norm Eisen of CREW; he鈥檚 been after me for nine years.鈥
Trump named lawyers and a legal nonprofit that he has tangled with over the years, which could serve as a roadmap for people he would like prosecuted by the officials in the room with him.
Trump named lawyer Eisen, but misidentified him as running the nonprofit Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which unsuccessfully from running for reelection due to his role in the on the U.S. Capitol. Eisen was with the organization during part of Trump鈥檚 first term but has since left.
Trump rained vitriol on CREW as well as Eisen, who remains staunchly opposed to Trump and co-founded an online publication, The Contrarian, to take on the new administration. Still, Trump claimed Eisen has been 鈥渧iolent,鈥 which is laughable. He鈥檚 a lawyer who鈥檚 never used physical force toward Trump.
Weissman was lead prosecutor for the investigation into the Trump campaign鈥檚 dealings with Russia during Trump鈥檚 first term. One of the people Weissman convicted in that probe, Trump鈥檚 former national security adviser , watched the speech and was warmly introduced by Trump himself.
Trump also name-checked Smith, who was the special prosecutor who against Trump for his attempt to overturn the 2020 election and for hoarding classified documents at his Florida resort.
Notably, the president didn鈥檛 name a single possible crime these lawyers or CREW committed other than opposing him.
Media
鈥淚 believe that CNN and MSDNC, who literally write 97.6% bad about me, are political arms of the Democrat Party. And in my opinion, they are really corrupt and they are illegal. What they do is illegal.鈥
This was a remarkable moment 鈥 the president of the United States telling his Department of Justice that he believes are illegal because they write bad things about him.
Needless to say, CNN and MSNBC (which Trump tweaked by changing its initials) are not actually part of the Democratic Party. No matter if you think their coverage leans in that direction, there鈥檚 no actual, legal connection.
Even if there was, the allows political groups to criticize a rival politician. It certainly allows the media to do so, regardless of any perceived ideological bias.
2020 election
"What a difference a rigged and crooked election had on our country, when you think about it. And the people who did this to us should go to jail. They should go to jail.鈥
This is one of Trump's favorite subjects 鈥 how he didn't really lose the 2020 election. He did, though.
Trump has that widespread fraud cost him the 2020 election, but the evidence . Trump lost dozens of , including some before judges he appointed, his own at the time said there was no evidence of fraud on a scale that could have tipped the election, and , and in the battleground states where Trump contested his loss all affirmed .
It's unclear who 鈥渢he people who did this鈥 are in Trump's threat, but when a president says someone should go to jail while addressing the Department of Justice 鈥 especially about something that never happened 鈥 that's significant.
The FBI
鈥淚 pardoned hundreds of political prisoners who had been grossly mistreated. We removed the senior FBI officials who misdirected resources to send SWAT teams after grandmothers and J6 hostages. And it was a great honor for me, a great honor to fire James Comey.鈥
Trump claimed he'd end what he called 鈥渨eaponization鈥 of the Department of Justice, but then quickly boasted of those who in an attempt to on Jan. 6.
Trump also boasted of firing Comey, who was the FBI director in his first term. It was one of Trump's most controversial acts then, but seems almost quaint now. The man whom Trump nominated to replace Comey, , stepped aside in December after years of being targeted by Trump, who has now replaced him with Patel, a loyalist who never worked in the bureau.
The president boasting of firing top FBI officials is a clear signal to those inside the Department of Justice.
Judges
鈥淭hey wanted to scare the hell out of the judges. And they do it. How do you stop it? ... What do you do to get rid of it? You convict Trump.鈥
Trump has personally who ruled against him for attack since he first ran for president in 2016. But, remarkably, Trump implied that the adverse legal decisions against him have been because his opponents are threatening judges.
In reality, the judge who presided over Trump鈥檚 criminal in New York, Juan Merchan, received threats after and his family. Judicial organizations have reported a sharp rise in threats as Trump increasingly complained the legal system was 鈥渞igged鈥 against him as he fought four separate prosecutions during his campaign.
Trump did accurately note negative coverage that conservative justices on the nation鈥檚 highest court have received over some of their and . He has reason to want those justices to be sympathetic to him because several of his administration鈥檚 initiatives are tangled up in litigation headed straight to the Supreme Court.
