Trump’s FBI Follows Hegseth’s Lead In Seeking Revenge On Dems
This is your TPM evening briefing.
Retribution Henchmen
The Justice Department and the FBI are now conducting their own investigation into Democratic members of Congress who put out a video reminding active duty members of the military about their constitutional oath — a message that prompted death threats from no less than President Trump. Now his administration’s top henchmen are taking over, helping to carry out the latest chapter of the ongoing goal of his second term: seeking retribution against his perceived political foes.
Last week, Trump threatened to have the Democratic members of Congress arrested and potentially charged with sedition, which he noted on Truth Social, is punishable by “DEATH” — he also reshared posts from other Truth Social users suggesting the Democratic lawmakers and veterans should be subject to death by hanging. On Monday, Department of Defense (now, War) Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the department had opened an investigation into Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) over his involvement in the video — during which a handful of Democratic lawmakers who are veterans of the military or former national security officials outlined the ways in which the Trump administration is training troops on American civilians and reminded service members of their duty to refuse illegal orders. Hegseth is claiming that Kelly somehow violated laws that bar retired members of the military from giving orders to active duty service members, which Kelly did not do.
The Department of Defense has said it might try to recall Kelly, retired from the Navy and NASA, back into active service to bring military charges against him. Hegseth suggested in a Twitter post Monday that he would’ve gone after all six of the Dems who appeared in the video but “five of the six individuals in that video do not fall under @DeptofWar jurisdiction.” (Four are former military but not retired. One is a former CIA officer.)
So Trump’s DOJ is picking things up where Hegseth left off.
The FBI has reportedly contacted Capitol Police to request interviews with the six lawmakers — Kelly, as well as Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), and Reps. Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) and Jason Crow (D-CO). Fox News was first to report the news of DOJ’s contact with Capitol Police, which Democratic leadership also contacted last week to ask for extra protective measures for the six singled out for death by Trump.
Slotkin confirmed the new reporting, saying Trump “directing the FBI to target us is exactly why we made this video in the first place.”
Some GOP Members of Congress Criticize Trump’s Death Threats
A few Republican members of Congress are at least nodding in the direction of Democrats’ universal outrage over the sitting president suggesting elected Democrats should die by hanging.
“If you take it at face value, the idea that calling your opponents ‘traitors’ — and then specifically saying that it warrants the death penalty — is reckless, inappropriate, irresponsible,” Sen. Ran Paul (R-KY) told CBS this week.
“Amateur hour once again at the Department of Defense,” Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) said this week in response to Hegseth’s supposed Kelly investigation. “I thought the video by six Dems was unnecessary and foolish. But the threats of sedition charges and courts martial in response are also crazy. Let’s show some common sense and restraint.”
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) also, reportedly, “furrowed her brow” about the matter, per the Hill. “Obviously, I don’t agree with that,” she said.
Trump Weighs Ousting Patel
While FBI Director Kash Patel may be going out of his way to act on Trump’s thirst for retribution, it’s not necessarily making up for the bad headlines he’s gotten in recent weeks focused on his use of FBI resources for his girlfriend, a 27-year-old country music singer. MS NOW, formerly MSNBC, has new reporting out today — which is based on three anonymous sources with knowledge of the situation — that suggests Trump is considering getting rid of Patel due to the girlfriend drama, as well as Patel’s use of his government jet and feuds with other Trump allies. Per MS NOW:
Trump and White House aides have confided to allies that the president is eyeing removing Patel and is considering top FBI official Andrew Bailey as the bureau’s new director, according to the three people.
Patel is described as being on thin ice and his ouster appears closer than ever, with Bailey as the logical replacement, two of the sources with knowledge of the situation said, though Trump could change his mind in the weeks to come.
In Case You Missed It
Latest on Trump’s redistricting war from Khaya Himmelman: Civil Rights Groups Urge Supreme Court to Block Texas’ Gerrymandered Map
Morning Memo: Pam Bondi’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
In case you missed it last night: Pentagon Is Investigating a Member Of Congress Who Criticized Trump
Josh Marshall: The Surreal Madness of the AI Boom
Yesterday’s Most Read Story
Aileen Cannon Is Back In A Bad Sequel To Her Trump Debut
What We Are Reading
Trump’s meeting with MBS got tense over Israel
Inside lobbying efforts to make the Mar-a-Lago foreign worker visa a staple of MAGA