WASHINGTON — Those who may have incurred the wrath of President Donald Trump are realizing the implications: Retribution is imminent and swift.
John Bolton, the former national security adviser who released a critical book regarding Trump’s first term, has lost his Secret Service protection due to assassination threats from Iran.
Similarly, Anthony Fauci, the public health expert whom Trump disparaged as a “disaster” for his management of the Covid-19 pandemic and who has faced far-right antipathy since, also lost his security detail (he has since secured his own private protection).
Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who diverged from Trump during the George Floyd protests over a controversial church photo-op, had his portrait abruptly taken down from the Pentagon walls. Defense officials claim they were unaware of who ordered the removal or the reasons behind it.
Moreover, Trump revoked security clearances from numerous former national security officials who had signed a 2020 letter suggesting that Hunter Biden’s laptop emails were indicative of a Russian misinformation campaign.
These actions unfolded within days of Trump’s inauguration — and, in some cases, within mere hours.
An outstanding question surrounding Trump’s 2024 campaign was whether he would wield presidential powers for revenge against perceived enemies. For some, the situation is beginning to clarify.
“There are plenty of early warning signs that confirm the worst fears of people who were concerned about a second Trump administration and its implications for the rule of law,” remarked David Laufman, a former senior Justice Department official who served under both Republican and Democratic administrations. “The real question is what safeguards will exist to prevent the gradual establishment of an authoritarian regime in the U.S.”
The White House did not clarify whether Trump personally directed these actions or whether they were indeed acts of retaliation. In recent communications with reporters, Trump defended the decision to rescind secret service protection for Fauci, Bolton, and others.
“I thought he was a very dumb person,” Trump remarked regarding Bolton, asserting that the government cannot indefinitely fund individuals’ Secret Service protection. (Ex-presidents are entitled to lifetime security details.)
“When you serve in government, at a certain point, you lose your security detail,” Trump explained to the media. “You can’t keep them forever.”
A White House representative suggested that the former national security officials warranted the loss of their security clearances.
“By misusing their previous government roles, these individuals perpetrated a public relations deception against the American public,” said Brian Hughes, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council. “They severely undermined the credibility of the Intelligence Community by leveraging their positions to meddle in a presidential election. President Trump’s actions are aimed at restoring the integrity of our nation’s institutions.”
Trump’s statements regarding potential retaliatory measures can often be contradictory. In an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” he was asked if he would seek to punish his predecessor, President Joe Biden.
“I’m not focused on revisiting the past,” he asserted. “I’m interested in making our country successful. Retribution will come through success.”
Yet, he clearly feels aggrieved by the treatment he received from courts, prosecutors, and Democratic officials.
In an Oval Office interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Trump stated, “I endured four years of hell due to this scum we had to deal with. I spent millions on legal fees, and while I won, it was a difficult process. It’s hard to argue that they shouldn’t experience similar consequences. It’s very hard to suggest that.”
The measures taken by Trump’s administration thus far have varied in impact on those affected. The removal of Milley’s portrait, unveiled just ten days prior to Trump’s inauguration, might serve as a warning to future Joint Chiefs that they too could be erased from Pentagon history if they fall out of favor with the commander-in-chief.
Bolton mentioned he is now taking additional security precautions following the loss of his Secret Service protection. In 2022, the Justice Department charged a member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for allegedly plotting to assassinate Bolton, likely in retaliation for the Trump administration’s actions against an Iranian general two years earlier.
Biden first provided Bolton with a security detail in December 2021, which had been renewed every six months until last month, as Bolton recounted to NBC News.
“This is part of the retribution campaign,” Bolton stated, adding, “It doesn’t matter to him [Trump] how serious these actions are. He derives a certain satisfaction from each action he takes.”
Members of the U.S. intelligence community informed him before Trump’s inauguration that the threat of assassination remained unchanged.
“They are jeopardizing his life, not merely undermining his career opportunities, but endangering him to punish him for his critiques of Donald Trump,” remarked Rosa Brooks, a former senior Defense Department official during the Obama administration and a co-leader of the Democracy Futures Project at the Brennan Center for Justice.
If anything were to happen to Bolton, the U.S. could potentially respond militarily, further heightening tensions and edging the two nations closer to conflict.
Revoking the security clearances of those who co-signed the Hunter Biden letter could lead to financial hardship for some, as they now navigate the private sector and require those clearances for government contracts.
One individual whose clearance was revoked expressed in an interview, “They are now facing financial difficulties, and the nation suffers as well, since these are individuals with years of experience who continue to contribute after retirement.”
“There’s no legitimate rationale for this action,” this person continued, preferring to speak anonymously. “In terms of freedom of speech, we have the right as U.S. citizens to alert the public about ongoing Russian and other information operations that influence our politics and elections.”
However, it remains uncertain how much consideration the new administration gave to the announcement of these punitive measures. Mark Zaid, an attorney representing some of those who signed the letter, indicated that most of them have since lost their security clearances.
The executive order revoking the security clearances included Bolton as well, citing his publication of “sensitive information drawn from his time in government” in his memoir “The Room Where It Happened.”
Bolton stated he is unaware if he had an active security clearance to begin with.
“For me, it has no impact whatsoever,” he remarked.
