> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://libertys-lens.ghost.io/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # The New Red Scare: How Trump Turned the DOJ Into a Loyalty Police - URL: https://libertys-lens.ghost.io/the-new-red-scare-how-trump-turned/ - Published: 2025-09-28T01:07:10.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-13T16:52:07.000Z - Description: From watchdog to attack dog: Inside the memos, purges, and prosecutions reshaping American justice. - Author: Graham Baughman - Tags: Newsletter, #Migrated-1786639647847, #Import 2026-08-13 16:47 **The last time America saw this much fear baked into law, it was called the Red Scare.** Back then, the targets were “communists.” Today, the labels are “antifa,” “domestic terrorist,” and “radical left.” The names have changed, but the logic hasn’t: vague accusations, loyalty tests, and the weaponization of justice to crush opposition. Under Trump’s second administration, the Department of Justice has been transformed from an independent watchdog into a political enforcement arm. The playbook is simple: purge the watchdogs, punish dissent, and prosecute enemies. The result is a new kind of Red Scare—one where vague accusations and loyalty tests replace due process, and justice itself is weaponized to crush opposition. [Subscribe](#/portal/signup) --- ### DOJ’s “Weaponization Working Group” and Loyalty Mandates On her first day as Attorney General, Pam Bondi issued two sweeping memos that rewired the Justice Department’s mission. **Memo 1: “Restoring the Integrity and Credibility of the Department of Justice”** This directive created the **Weaponization Working Group**, tasked with investigating what it calls “politicized law enforcement” under the previous administration. In practice, that means re-examining cases against Trump and his allies, including: - Special Counsel Jack Smith’s prosecutions - Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s hush-money case - New York AG Letitia James’ civil fraud suit - DOJ’s January 6 prosecutions The memo frames this as rooting out “third-world weaponization,” but its real function is to **institutionalize retribution**. The group reports quarterly to the White House and has authority to subpoena internal DOJ records ([ABC News](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-directs-doj-investigate-2-officials-term-critics/story?id=120658983&ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). **Memo 2: “Zealous Advocacy and DOJ Discipline”** This memo imposes a loyalty mandate on DOJ attorneys: - Lawyers must “vigorously defend presidential policies” and “aggressively enforce” Trump’s agenda. - Any attorney who refuses to sign briefs, delays cases, or declines to advance “good-faith arguments” faces **discipline or termination**. Critics warn this converts DOJ from an independent law enforcement body into a political enforcement arm, echoing authoritarian playbooks ([Government Executive](https://www.govexec.com/oversight/2025/09/fired-watchdogs-cant-be-reinstated-despite-trumps-obvious-law-breaking-court-decides/408387/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io) | [The Hill](https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5520345-trump-firing-inspectors-general/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). --- ### Who Got Targeted Under the Bondi Memos The memos didn’t name names—but the machinery they created quickly went to work. Among the most prominent targets: - **James Comey** — Indicted for alleged false statements and obstruction after refusing to retract testimony about Trump’s pressure campaign. Trump celebrated the indictment as “JUSTICE IN AMERICA!” ([NBC News](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/justice-department-charges-james-comey-lying-congress-rcna233581?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io) | [USA TODAY](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/09/26/james-comey-indictment-reactions/86367849007/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). - **John Bolton** — FBI raided his home over alleged classified material violations, widely seen as retaliation for his memoir and public criticism of Trump ([POLITICO Magazine](https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/08/28/trump-revenge-tour-weaponize-government-column-00529277?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io) | [Democracy Docket](https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/fbi-john-bolton-home-raid-trump-critic/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). - **Miles Taylor & Chris Krebs** — Former officials investigated for “treason” after criticizing Trump’s policies ([ABC News](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-directs-doj-investigate-2-officials-term-critics/story?id=120658983&ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). - **Letitia James & Alvin Bragg** — State-level prosecutors who pursued Trump in civil and criminal cases, now under federal review by the Weaponization Working Group ([POLITICO](https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/05/pam-bondi-issued-a-flurry-of-orders-on-day-1-as-trumps-attorney-general-00202756?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). - **Career DOJ Attorneys** — Threatened with discipline or termination for refusing to sign briefs or advance “good-faith arguments” for Trump’s agenda ([Government Executive](https://www.govexec.com/oversight/2025/09/fired-watchdogs-cant-be-reinstated-despite-trumps-obvious-law-breaking-court-decides/408387/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). **Footnote:** In this context, “good-faith arguments” doesn’t mean arguments that align with DOJ’s traditional standards of justice. It means any legal position that can be colorably defended under existing law—even if it’s aggressive, novel, or politically motivated. Under Bondi’s memo, refusing to sign a brief or declining to advance such arguments could trigger discipline or termination. This effectively redefines “good faith” as loyalty to the administration’s agenda, overriding the professional discretion DOJ attorneys have historically exercised. --- ### With DOJ Under His Thumb, Trump Turns the Law Into a Weapon **Trump Has Never Been Coy About His Intentions** On Truth Social, he didn’t just hint—he issued marching orders. Addressing his attorney general by name, Trump wrote: > *“Pam: … What about Comey, Adam ‘Shifty’ Schiff, Leticia??? They’re all guilty as hell… We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”* ([TIME](https://time.com/7319161/trump-pam-bondi-letitia-james/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io) | [The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-bondi-prosecutions-james-comey-adam-schiff-doj-b2831016.html?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) This wasn’t idle venting. Within days, Trump fired the U.S. attorney who refused to indict New York Attorney General Letitia James and replaced him with a loyalist who would. That move sent a message: prosecutorial independence is optional; loyalty is mandatory. Then came the payoff. A federal grand jury indicted James Comey—Trump’s longtime adversary—on charges critics call paper‑thin. Trump celebrated in all caps: > *“JUSTICE IN AMERICA! One of the worst human beings this Country has ever been exposed to is James Comey.”* And he wasn’t done: “It’s not a list, but I think there will be others… They’re corrupt” ([USA TODAY](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/09/26/trump-says-hopes-others-charged-comey-indictment/86370963007/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io) | [NBC News](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/justice-department-charges-james-comey-lying-congress-rcna233581?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). At a rally, he stripped away any pretense of principle: > *“I hate my opponent, and I don’t want the best for them.”* These aren’t stray outbursts—they’re policy signals. Trump’s words, amplified by official action, collapse the firewall between law enforcement and political vendetta. In a healthy democracy, the Justice Department prosecutes crimes, not enemies. Trump is rewriting that rule in real time, and he’s doing it out loud. --- **I. Prosecutions by Presidential Demand** Trump didn’t merely insinuate; he commanded. The now‑notorious directive to AG Pam Bondi demanded charges against Comey, Schiff, and James and excoriated Bondi for “all talk, no action.” When reporters asked who was “next,” he said, “I hope there will be others,” and called his adversaries “corrupt” ([The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-bondi-prosecutions-james-comey-adam-schiff-doj-b2831016.html?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). The Comey case shows the method. Career prosecutors reportedly drafted a declination memo; the Eastern District’s U.S. attorney was forced out; Lindsey Halligan—formerly one of Trump’s personal lawyers, with no criminal prosecutorial experience—became the only name on the indictment. In court, even the judge noted confusion as multiple versions of the indictment were filed; the grand jury even rejected one proposed count ([NBC News](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/justice-department-charges-james-comey-lying-congress-rcna233581?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). In spite of this, Trump framed it as righteous vengeance: “He is a Dirty Cop… a destroyer of lives… a very big price must be paid!” ([The Hill via MSN](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-on-comey-indictment-he-left-himself-zero-margin-of-error-on-big-and-important-answer/ar-AA1NmjIJ?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). The White House line has tried to launder it as “accountability,” not retribution—even as Trump spelled out the targets and deadlines ([The Hill](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5516496-trump-calls-for-rival-prosecutions/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io) | [USA TODAY](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/09/23/trump-amps-efforts-punish-political-foes/86293686007/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). --- **II. Purging the Watchdogs** Within days of his second inauguration, Trump fired at least 17 inspectors general—the nonpartisan watchdogs created after Watergate—without the 30‑day notice and detailed rationale now required by law. A federal judge called it plainly: “President Trump violated the IGA. That much is obvious.” She declined to reinstate the IGs only because the White House could re‑fire them after providing notice ([The Hill](https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5520345-trump-firing-inspectors-general/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io) | [Government Executive](https://www.govexec.com/oversight/2025/09/fired-watchdogs-cant-be-reinstated-despite-trumps-obvious-law-breaking-court-decides/408387/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). The administration publicly cast the IGs as “rogue, partisan bureaucrats,” signaling that independent audit functions are unwelcome if they question the line ([Government Executive](https://www.govexec.com/oversight/2025/09/fired-watchdogs-cant-be-reinstated-despite-trumps-obvious-law-breaking-court-decides/408387/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). The practical effect was immediate: inspector general staff described fear of retaliation, steep attrition, and canceled audits—precisely the chilling effect a purge is designed to produce ([Government Executive](https://www.govexec.com/oversight/2025/05/government-oversight-employees-detail-fears-retaliation-under-trump-administration-new-senate-report/405465/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). --- **III. Criminalizing Dissent by Redefinition** When Trump promised retribution, he needed a label capacious enough to justify federal pursuit. He signed an order declaring “ANTIFA, A SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER, AS A MAJOR TERRORIST ORGANIZATION,” directing agencies to “investigate, disrupt, and dismantle” its “operations,” including funding networks. After the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, he vowed to sign an order to “dismantle these Domestic Terrorism Networks,” explicitly coupling public safety with partisan grievance ([White House](https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/09/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-designates-antifa-as-a-domestic-terrorist-organization/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io) | [Financial Express](https://www.financialexpress.com/world-news/us-news/trump-says-he-will-sign-executive-order-to-dismantle-domestic-terrorism-networks-after-kirk-killing/3988569/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). Experts have underscored the legal vacuum: there is no U.S. statute that allows a president to designate domestic groups as terrorist organizations, and “antifa” is not an organization at all but a diffuse, leaderless movement. The order still functions as a resource signal and a cudgel for pursuing donors, activists, and protest leaders under other statutes until courts say otherwise ([NPR/Ideastream](https://www.ideastream.org/npr-news/2025-09-19/trump-has-designated-antifa-a-terrorist-group-here-are-the-questions-that-raises?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io) | [CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-antifa-executive-order-domestic-terrorist-organization/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). --- **IV. Targeting Former Officials and Critics** The presidency’s enemies list has long included former officials who criticized him or refused to bend. The FBI’s search of John Bolton’s home over alleged classified material was a visible show of force against a former national security adviser turned critic—consistent with a pattern of recasting dissenters as security risks ([POLITICO Magazine](https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/08/28/trump-revenge-tour-weaponize-government-column-00529277?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io) | [Democracy Docket](https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/fbi-john-bolton-home-raid-trump-critic/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). Trump also signed a memo directing investigations into Miles Taylor and Chris Krebs—ex‑officials who criticized him—calling Taylor’s acts “treason” in public comments, a word that, in authoritarian playbooks, casts political disagreement as criminal betrayal ([ABC News](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-directs-doj-investigate-2-officials-term-critics/story?id=120658983&ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). --- **V. Punishing Routine Oversight** **• Rep. LaMonica McIver** — After an immigration oversight visit turned contentious, DOJ brought an unusually aggressive federal case against a sitting member of Congress—exactly the kind of prosecutorial flex that chills legislative oversight ([PBS NewsHour](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-the-doj-under-trump-is-targeting-his-perceived-political-adversaries?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). **• Sen. Alex Padilla** — For trying to question the DHS secretary at a Los Angeles press conference, Padilla was shoved out, forced to the floor, and cuffed. DHS claimed he hadn’t identified himself and “lunged;” video shows him stating, “I am Senator Alex Padilla,” and the FBI later confirmed he was positively identified and released. Noem defended the ejection; Padilla called it an assault on oversight ([CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/12/alex-padilla-noem-dhs-handcuffed.html?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io) | [NBC News](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/sen-alex-padilla-forcibly-removed-dhs-sec-kristi-noems-press-conferenc-rcna212688?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). --- **VI. Suppressing the Press—and the Lawyers Who Might Defend It** The rhetorical groundwork is familiar: “They are truly the ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!” Trump said of the press, a label he revived while threatening licenses and access. The Committee to Protect Journalists has documented retaliatory actions—including bans on AP reporters from events—as part of a larger pattern of press intimidation ([The Hill](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/437610-trump-calls-press-the-enemy-of-the-people/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io) | [CPJ](https://cpj.org/2025/02/cpj-denounces-trump-administrations-actions-against-ap-other-retaliation-against-media/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). Bondi’s DOJ then voided the 2022 guidelines that discouraged compelling journalists to reveal sources, authorizing contempt arrests of reporters who refuse. With a single memo, the department reversed a Watergate‑era norm and framed it as necessary for “information war” ([The Dissenter](https://thedissenter.org/trump-doj-policy-permit-journalists-contempt-jail/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). The legal profession didn’t escape the crackdown. Trump directed DOJ to “hold accountable” firms that bring cases he dislikes, threatening sanctions, clearance revocations, and contract cancellations. “I just think the law firms have to behave themselves,” he told reporters—an open attempt to make representation of adversaries come with professional ruin. A *60 Minutes* investigation documented executive orders aimed at specific firms—WilmerHale, Covington & Burling, Jenner & Block, Perkins Coie—while the American Bar Association warned that punishing lawyers for representing disfavored clients “threatens the rule of law” ([USA TODAY](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/03/24/trump-battles-law-firms/82619697007/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io) | [CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-orders-target-law-firms-some-lawyers-say-that-threatens-rule-of-law-60-minutes-transcript/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io) | [TIME](https://time.com/7272466/law-firms-trump-wilmerhale-jenner-block-paul-weiss-covington-burling/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)). One has to wonder if we’ll even see such *60 Minutes* pieces in the future, given the way the Trump has wielded lawsuits to punish CBS and the way they capitulated in under threats to their parent company’s business dealings. --- **The Original Red Scare—And Why It Matters Now** In thinking about what’s happening today, it’s worth remembering the last time America let fear rewrite the rules. The first Red Scare (1919–1920) and the McCarthy era of the 1950s were built on the same architecture: **vague accusations, loyalty tests, and the weaponization of law to punish dissent**. Careers were destroyed on whispers; people were blacklisted for refusing to sign oaths or for attending the wrong meeting. Oversight became “subversion.” Criticism became “treason.” The genius—and the danger—of the Red Scare was its elasticity. “Communist sympathizer” could mean anything. That ambiguity was the point: it gave those in power a blank check to target whoever they wanted. The result was a culture of fear that hollowed out institutions and chilled speech for a generation. Today’s labels—“antifa,” “domestic terrorist,” “radical left”—serve the same function. They’re not legal categories; they’re political cudgels. And they’re being wielded by a president who says the quiet part out loud and who has brought the once independent DoJ to heel. He now wields that awesome and terrible power as tool of terror to suppress dissent. --- **VIII. The Cost—and the Choice** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/da/86/da86ac05-de21-4736-8a14-89823a268247/content/images/2026/08/514cea78-1d17-446f-9b41-fe82f86594b5_1536x1024.png) **What’s at Stake?** If the Justice Department becomes a tool for political retribution, the consequences go far beyond any single administration. Oversight collapses, dissent is criminalized, and the line between law and loyalty disappears. The institutions designed to protect democracy—independent prosecutors, watchdogs, a free press—are hollowed out, leaving the public less safe and less free. McCarthyism didn’t end because it ran out of targets. It ended because Americans finally recognized the difference between oversight and betrayal, dissent and subversion—and demanded that law outlive vengeance. The reforms that followed—insulating DOJ from White House pressure, creating inspectors general, codifying press protections, reinforcing an independent bar—were designed to keep that line bright. Trump’s own words tell us he intends to erase that line: > *“They’re all guilty as hell… We can’t delay any longer… JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”* > *“I hope there will be others… They’re corrupt.”* > *“I hate my opponent, and I don’t want the best for them.”* ([TIME](https://time.com/7319161/trump-pam-bondi-letitia-james/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io) | [USA TODAY](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/09/26/trump-says-hopes-others-charged-comey-indictment/86370963007/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) Those aren’t stray outbursts. They’re a governing philosophy—and a warning. When the president uses the Justice Department as a loyalty police, the question isn’t whether the law will be bent. It’s whether the public will notice before it breaks. The original Red Scare taught us that fear is a poor foundation for freedom. The question now is whether we’ve learned that lesson—or whether we’re about to repeat it, louder and with better technology. --- **For readers who want the receipts** - The public order to prosecute, by name—“JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!” — ([TIME](https://time.com/7319161/trump-pam-bondi-letitia-james/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) - “I hope there will be others” after Comey indictment — ([USA TODAY](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/09/26/trump-says-hopes-others-charged-comey-indictment/86370963007/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) - “JUSTICE IN AMERICA! … James Comey” celebration — ([NBC News](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/justice-department-charges-james-comey-lying-congress-rcna233581?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) - IG purge violated the law, judge says — ([The Hill](https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5520345-trump-firing-inspectors-general/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) - Admin calls watchdogs “rogue, partisan bureaucrats” — ([Government Executive](https://www.govexec.com/oversight/2025/09/fired-watchdogs-cant-be-reinstated-despite-trumps-obvious-law-breaking-court-decides/408387/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) - “ANTIFA… A SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER” designation — ([White House Fact Sheet](https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/09/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-designates-antifa-as-a-domestic-terrorist-organization/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) - No legal mechanism to designate domestic groups as “terrorist” — ([NPR/Ideastream](https://www.ideastream.org/npr-news/2025-09-19/trump-has-designated-antifa-a-terrorist-group-here-are-the-questions-that-raises?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) - Bolton raid as escalation against former officials — ([POLITICO Magazine](https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/08/28/trump-revenge-tour-weaponize-government-column-00529277?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) - Memo targeting Miles Taylor and Chris Krebs; “treason” rhetoric — ([ABC News](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-directs-doj-investigate-2-officials-term-critics/story?id=120658983&ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) - Rep. LaMonica McIver charged after oversight visit — ([PBS NewsHour](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-the-doj-under-trump-is-targeting-his-perceived-political-adversaries?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) - Padilla handcuffed; “liberate the city” quote; FBI/DHS statements — ([CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/12/alex-padilla-noem-dhs-handcuffed.html?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io) | [NBC News](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/sen-alex-padilla-forcibly-removed-dhs-sec-kristi-noems-press-conferenc-rcna212688?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) - “Enemy of the people” denunciations of the press — ([The Hill](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/437610-trump-calls-press-the-enemy-of-the-people/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) - DOJ policy enabling arrest of journalists who refuse to identify sources — ([The Dissenter](https://thedissenter.org/trump-doj-policy-permit-journalists-contempt-jail/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) - “Law firms have to behave themselves,” plus *60 Minutes* documentation — ([USA TODAY](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/03/24/trump-battles-law-firms/82619697007/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io) | [CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-orders-target-law-firms-some-lawyers-say-that-threatens-rule-of-law-60-minutes-transcript/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) - “I need loyalty, I expect loyalty” — ([POLITICO Magazine](https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/03/06/donald-trump-loyalty-staff-217227/?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io)) [Leave a tip](https://donate.stripe.com/aFa3cx2qT7n75ut3eXeIw01?ref=libertys-lens.ghost.io) *— Liberty’s Lens* This article is provided for public interest reporting and analysis. All external links open in a new tab and point to their original publishers. [Subscribe now](#/portal/signup) See also - https://medium.com/@LibertysLens/the-new-red-scare-how-trump-turned-the-doj-into-a-loyalty-police-157eb4e9283c [Leave a comment](#ghost-comments-root) © 2025 Liberty’s Lens. All rights reserved.