Donald Trump had said in September this year: “When I win, there will be legal action against those who cheat and they will be prosecuted, which will also include long prison sentences.” Trump has left his rival Kamala Harris behind in the race for the presidency of the United States. He will now be president of the United States for the second time. Now the question is: Will Trump, who has never shied away from threatening anyone he considers his enemy, take revenge?
Throughout his election campaign, Donald Trump continued to warn about settling scores with his opponents. He took the names of political rivals and described them as his enemies. Now that he has won the presidency, former officials, political analysts and others who openly opposed him are preparing for what might happen next. Trump has repeatedly warned that his second term will mean a reckoning with those who have tried to obstruct his agenda and criticize his leadership.
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Trump has been threatening to settle scores with his opponents.
According to a report by National Public Radio (the US public broadcasting service), Trump has made more than 100 threats to prosecute or punish his opponents since he began his election campaign in 2022. According to the report, between January 1 2023 and April 1, 2024, Trump threatened to sue President Joe Biden and take legal action at least 25 times on Truth Social (Trump’s social media platform).
In an interview with podcast host Joe Rogan, Trump said, “We are in greater danger from enemies within the country than from people like Kim Jong-un.” His target was the top leaders of the Democratic Party and some of his former colleagues, whom he called internal enemies and described as more dangerous than any foreign enemy. He described high-profile Democrats like Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff as more dangerous than China or Russia and said he would not hesitate to use the military to deal with his critics.
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Trump had demanded the impeachment of Kamala Harris
Trump had also said that Kamala Harris should be impeached and brought to justice. He didn’t even forgive the journalists. In 2022, Trump had spoken of imprisoning journalists who do not reveal the identities of those who leak news. He had said: “If the journalist doesn’t want to tell you the names of the leakers, he should be in jail.”
Donald Trump may have warned his rivals, officials and journalists to settle scores after becoming president, but in doing so he will face resistance on many levels. There will be legal and procedural obstacles to doing so. For example, while Trump may appoint his loyalists to key positions in the government and administration, the Justice Department and the judicial system will still be tasked with conducting various internal investigations.
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Revenge will not be easy for Donald Trump
Grand juries, federal judges, and attorneys will have the authority to investigate, evaluate, and verify any accusations that are made without facts simply to attack political opponents. Additionally, moves to weaponize federal agencies for political purposes may face resistance from bureaucrats and whistleblowers. Officials can also take measures against this, such as mass resignation. Will Trump settle scores with his opponents or will his words turn out to be mere political grandstanding? Only time will tell.
