Republican allies of Donald J. Trump are seeking retaliatory measures against Democrats following his felony conviction in New York. Within hours of a jury finding Trump guilty last week, the anger congealed into demands for action. Since then, prominent G.O.P. leaders in and out of government have demanded that elected Republicans use every available instrument of power against Democrats, including targeted investigations and prosecutions, The New York Times reports. The level of anger and the explicit call to use the criminal justice system against Democrats after the verdict exceeds anything seen during Trump's turbulent years in national politics. What sets this apart is the number of Republicans who are now openly stating that retaliation is needed and are no longer disguising their intentions with vague language.
Stephen Miller, a former senior adviser to Trump who still helps guide his thinking on policy, blared out a directive on Fox News after a jury found Trump guilty of falsifying financial records to cover up a 2016 campaign hush-money payment to a porn actress. Miller posed a series of questions to Republicans at every level, including local district attorneys. “Is every House committee controlled by Republicans using its subpoena power in every way it needs to right now?” he demanded. “Is every Republican D.A. starting every investigation they need to right now?....Every facet of Republican Party politics and power has to be used right now to go toe-to-toe with Marxism and beat these Communists.” A central tenet of their argument is that the four criminal cases in four different jurisdictions against Trump are illegitimate and nothing more than political weaponization of the justice system. There is uncertainty regarding whether the calls for legal action will lead to actual prosecutions. However, individuals close to Trump are encouraging district attorneys and attorneys general in red states to begin aggressively targeting Democrats for unspecified crimes.