Trump Flagrantly Targets Political Opponents in Executive Orders
In August 1971, during President Richard Nixon’s first term in office, White House Counsel John Dean drafted a memo titled “Dealing with our Political Enemies.”
“This memorandum addresses the matter of how we can maximize the fact of our incumbency in dealing with persons known to be active in their opposition to this Administration,” Dean wrote. “Stated a bit more bluntly—how we can use the available federal machinery to screw our political enemies.”
The existence of a presidential “enemies list” was revealed amid hearings into the Watergate break-in; Nixon would ultimately resign in disgrace as Congress considered articles of impeachment.
Last week, President Donald Trump openly signed executive orders—in full view of the press—directing the Department of Justice to criminally investigate two people who publicly disagreed with him. He has also issued numerous orders targeting law firms for representing clients he does not favor, constituting clear shakedown attempts.
If there is anything to be said for the current administration, at least Trump is practicing his corruption out in the open.
On April 9, Trump signed two executive orders targeting members of his first presidential administration: Miles Taylor, a former chief of staff for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Chris Krebs, who ran the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
Taylor wrote an anonymous op-ed in The New York Times claiming to be “part of the resistance inside the Trump administration” and later published A Warning, a 2019 book credited to “Anonymous” detailing Trump’s unfitness for office. Krebs, meanwhile, earned Trump’s ire for disputing the claim that the 2020 election, which Trump lost, was stolen.
“Taylor abandoned his sacred oath and commitment to public service by disclosing sensitive information obtained through unauthorized methods and betrayed the confidence of those with whom he served,” according to the executive order. “This conduct could properly be characterized as treasonous and as possibly violating the Espionage Act.” The order directed federal agencies to suspend any security clearances Taylor may still have, and for the DHS to “review Miles Taylor’s activities as a Government employee.”
In the Oval Office, Trump called Taylor’s book “a work of fiction,” and its publication “unfair,” before signing the order. “We’re gonna find out whether or not somebody’s allowed to do that,” he added. “I think he’s guilty of treason, if you want to know the truth.”
Treason, of course, is a federal crime committed when someone “levies war against [the United States] or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere,” and the punishment could include execution.
It’s perfectly legal for a former government official to write a book about the president—they do it all the ti
Article from Reason.com
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