“This is a storied hall, if there ever was one,” President Donald Trump remarked as he began his address to the United States Department of Justice. He proceeded to deliver a speech in which he condemned judges, prosecutors, and members of his predecessor’s administration as corrupt, signaling a potential legal crackdown on political opponents.
In an extraordinary moment, Trump asserted that his victory in the 2024 election had given him a mandate to investigate what he described as “abuses” during former President Joe Biden’s tenure. “I will insist upon and demand full and complete accountability for the wrongs and abuses that have occurred,” Trump declared. “The American people have given us a mandate, and really, just a far-reaching investigation is what they are demanding into the corruption of our system.”
Critics have long expressed concerns that Trump would seek retribution against his political rivals if he regained power. During his 2024 campaign, he repeatedly labeled Democrats as “the enemy from within,” claiming they were “even” and more dangerous than threats from China and Russia. He also threatened critics, including Republican Liz Cheney, with imprisonment and vowed to appoint a special prosecutor to target Biden.
On Friday, Trump used his speech at the Justice Department to renew these threats and continue spreading false claims to cast doubt on his 2020 election loss to Biden. “I think it was the most humiliating time in the history of our country,” Trump said of Biden’s presidency. “What a difference a rigged and crooked election had on our country. When you think about it, the people who did this to us should go to jail. They should go to jail.”
Trump Justifies Department Firings
Trump also targeted prosecutors within the Justice Department, particularly those involved in criminal investigations against him. Since taking office for a second term on January 20, he has led a campaign against what he calls “Biden bureaucrats,” despite critics noting that many are nonpartisan civil servants.
Among the thousands of federal employees dismissed in recent months were career prosecutors involved in two federal probes into Trump’s conduct: one regarding the alleged mishandling of classified documents and the other concerning his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Both cases were dropped after Trump’s re-election on November 5, as the Justice Department has a policy of not prosecuting sitting presidents.
Trump, however, has sought to remove these prosecutors, accusing the Biden administration of “weaponizing” the Justice Department to undermine his re-election campaign. “As we begin a proud new chapter in the chronicles of American justice, this really is something we’re turning the page on: four long years of corruption, weaponization, and surrender to violent criminals,” Trump said. “But first, we must be honest about the lies and abuses that have occurred within these walls.”
He continued, “Unfortunately, in recent years, a corrupt group of hacks and radicals within the ranks of the American government obliterated the trust and goodwill built up over generations. They weaponized the vast powers of our intelligence and law enforcement agencies to try and thwart the will of the American people.”
Trump touted the firing of Justice Department prosecutors, describing them as “Marxist,” though he acknowledged some loyal public servants might have been dismissed. “Last month, I fired all the radical left pro-crime US attorneys appointed by Joe Biden. There were so many that were bad, and I know there were some that were probably very good. But there were so many that were so bad and so evil, so corrupt,” he said.
His speech hinted at more firings to come as Trump continues his campaign against officials associated with Biden. “We will expel the rogue actors and corrupt forces from our government. We will expose and very much expose their egregious crimes and severe misconduct of which was levels — you’ve never seen anything like it,” Trump said. “It’s going to be legendary. It’s going to also be legendary for the people that are able to seek it out and bring justice.”
Trump Calls Coverage of Court Cases ‘Illegal’
Before his election, Trump faced four criminal indictments: the two federal cases, a state-level case in Georgia for election interference, and another in New York for falsifying business records. The New York case involved allegations of covering up a hush-money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, who claimed they had an affair.
Trump denied any sexual relationship with Daniels and refuted the allegations of wrongdoing but was found guilty of 34 felony counts in the New York case. Weeks before his January inauguration, he was sentenced to an unconditional discharge, which involved no punishment. “The case against me was bull****,” Trump stated bluntly on Friday.
He became the first president, past or present, to face criminal charges, let alone be convicted. During his speech, Trump re-litigated these cases and issued vague threats to journalists for their coverage, accusing the media of illegally influencing the judges presiding over his cases. “They take tremendous abuse in The New York Times and The Washington Post,” Trump said of the judges. “They take such abuse. And honestly, very simply, they’re afraid of bad publicity. They don’t want bad publicity, and it’s truly interference in my opinion. And it should be illegal, and it probably is illegal in some form.”
Trump, however, praised federal Judge Aileen Cannon, who represents the southern district of Florida. “She was the absolute model of what a judge should be,” he said. Cannon, a Trump appointee, oversaw the federal case alleging that Trump illegally withheld over 340 classified documents after his first term, even after receiving a subpoena to return them.
In a leaked 2021 audio recording, Trump appeared to acknowledge that the documents were not declassified or approved for release. “See, as president I could have declassified it,” he said in the recording. “Now I can’t, but this is still a secret.” The documents were seized during a search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort but have since been returned to his personal residence.
Cannon faced criticism for attempting to dismiss the classified documents case in July, arguing that appointing a special counsel was unconstitutional. Special counsels are typically appointed to avoid conflicts of interest, but Cannon’s decision was seen as breaking precedent. Trump, however, praised her for her bravery. “We had an amazing judge in Florida, and her name is Aileen Cannon,” he said. “And these fake lawyers, these horrible human beings were hitting her so hard, public relations-wise. They were playing the ref. I don’t think it’s legal.”
Trump once again attacked the media, accusing journalists of pressuring judges like Cannon. “What do you do to get rid of it? You convict Trump,” he said. “All you have to do is be really tough on him and ultimately convict him. And they leave you alone. It’s totally illegal what they do. I just hope you can all watch for it. But it’s totally illegal, and it was so unfair what they were doing to her, but they do it all the time with judges.”
Trump concluded his speech by quoting English philosopher John Locke: “Wherever law ends, tyranny begins.” These words are inscribed on the limestone walls of the Justice Department. “You can’t go after your political opponent,” Trump said as he closed his remarks.
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