Donald Trump has suggested that if he returns to the White House next year, he will use the FBI and Justice Department to go after his political rivals, further fueling fears of what a second term for the Republican presidential nominee could mean, the Guardian reported. ".
Trump made the comments during an interview with Spanish-language television network Univision. Host Enrique Acevedo asked him about his numerous legal troubles, saying, "You say they weaponized the Justice Department, that they weaponized the FBI. Would you do the same if you were elected?"
"They've already done it, but if they want to go ahead with it, yes, it certainly could happen the other way around," Trump replied. "They let the genie out of the box."
"When you're president and you've done a good job and you're popular, you don't go after them so you can win the election. They made accusations to win the election. They call it weaponization," the former president added. "But yeah, they've done something that allows the next party, I mean, if somebody, if I happen to be president and I see somebody doing well and beating me very badly, I say come down and impeach him , mostly he'll be out of business. They'll be out of business. They'll be out of the election."
Blaming political rivals is a hallmark of authoritarian regimes, and the Republican's remarks are the starkest public revelations yet of the anti-democratic power he would bring to a second term as president.
Trump is the clear front-runner in the 2024 Republican nomination race, and no challenger has yet emerged to seriously challenge him. In recent national polls against Joe Biden, Trump has also often shown a lead — much to the dismay of many Democrats.
Earlier this month, the Washington Post reported that Trump and his allies are already discussing how to use the Justice Department to prosecute and retaliate against people who have spoken out against the former president, including former Attorney General Bill Barr and former Supt. on his staff John Kelly.
He is also reportedly considering invoking the Insurrection Act on his first day in office if he wins, which would allow him to use the army against protesters in the country.
Trump faces four separate criminal cases, including two separate federal trials, related to his handling of classified documents and his efforts to overturn the election. Both cases were brought by Jack Smith, a Justice Department special counsel appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland to insulate the cases from political pressure.
If Trump wins the election, he will almost certainly fire Smith if the investigation is still ongoing, or pardon him if he is convicted./BGNES
