Donald Trump has built a regime of retribution and reward | Sidney Blumenthal

"Trump's Regime of Retribution"

A dark pattern has emerged in the Trump administration, with retribution and reward serving as the guiding principles. Former senior FBI officials have filed a complaint alleging that top officials at the Department of Justice were fired for failing to demonstrate sufficient loyalty to the president. This purge of experienced prosecutors has led to a series of questionable cases and arrests.

At the heart of this system lies a twisted approach to accountability, where those who dare to challenge Trump's actions are labeled as "enemies" and face prosecution on trumped-up charges. The FBI director, Kash Patel, has been implicated in a conspiracy to silence whistleblowers, with one former acting director, Brian Driscoll, describing how he was told to fire agents working on investigations against Trump.

The true extent of this purge is staggering, with many high-ranking officials being dismissed or forced out. The Department of Justice has seen over 4,500 professional attorneys accept a "deferred resignation program," while several federal prosecutors have resigned in protest over the politicization of their work.

Trump's use of pardons and clemency has become a tool for silencing his critics and rewarding his allies. Pardons are granted without proper review or due process, often bypassing the traditional pardon attorney at the Department of Justice. This has led to the indictment of high-profile targets, including former FBI director James Comey and California Democratic senator Adam Schiff.

The rewards system is equally concerning, with Trump's pardoning power used to commute sentences for those involved in the January 6 insurrection. Many of these individuals have been rearrested or charged with various crimes, raising questions about the true motives behind Trump's actions.

At the center of this regime is a warped approach to loyalty and accountability, where leaders are expected to prioritize their loyalty to Trump above all else. This has created an atmosphere of fear and intimidation within government agencies, with officials being pressured into silence or forced out for failing to demonstrate sufficient devotion.

The parallels between Trump's system and authoritarian regimes of the past cannot be ignored. As Hannah Arendt wrote, "this system is the logical outgrowth of the Leader principle in its full implication and the best possible guarantee for loyalty." The consequences of this regime are far-reaching, with many critics facing prosecution or intimidation for speaking truth to power.

The Trump administration's use of a retribution system has been met with widespread criticism from experts and lawmakers alike. It is a stark reminder that the US government must prioritize accountability, transparency, and due process above all else.
 
omg u guys this trump thing is getting outta hand!!! ๐Ÿ˜ฑ like seriously he's creating his own little regime of retribution and ppl are getting silenced or fired for not loyally supporting him its super sus. i mean who needs loyalty tests when ur a public servant? ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™‚๏ธ and whats with all these pardons? it feels like trump is just using them to reward his pals and silence his critics. newsflash trump: u cant just pardon ur way out of trouble ๐Ÿ”ด

anywayz this whole thing is super concerning coz its creating an atmosphere of fear n intimidation in gov agencies ppl r too scared 2 speak up n criticise cuz they dont wanna get caught in the crossfire lol. and btw whats w/ all these high-profile pardons? james comey n adam schiff got popped outta nowhere ๐Ÿคฏ it just doesnt add up

so yeah this whole retribution system thing needs 2 be shut down ASAP coz its a recipe 4 disaster. accountability & transparency r key so lets keep it that way ๐Ÿ‘
 
๐Ÿค” just read this article about trump's regim and its kinda mind blowin...all these high level officials being fired for not loyally supporting trumps actions and now we got whistleblowers gettin silenced...it's like a game of who can be most loyal to trumps whims ๐Ÿค‘ meanwhile people r talkin about trump pardoning his buddies from Jan 6th insurrection charges lol what even is that ๐Ÿ˜‚ this whole thing just feels super sus to me ๐Ÿ‘€
 
I'm drawing a diagram of a dark tree with branches reaching out to grab people ๐Ÿ‘ป๐Ÿ’”
Trump's approach is like a toxic weed spreading its roots deep into the system ๐ŸŒฟ๐Ÿ’ช
Loyalty over justice? That's not how our country's meant to work! ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™‚๏ธ๐Ÿ“š
It's time for accountability and transparency, or we risk losing everything that makes us free ๐Ÿ•Š๏ธ๐Ÿ”’
I'm sketching a big circle with "due process" in the middle โญ•๏ธ๐Ÿ’ก
Anything less is just not right, you know? ๐Ÿ‘Ž๐Ÿ’ฏ
 
๐Ÿค• this whole thing is super worrying... it sounds like trump's got his fingers deep in the DOJ's cookie jar, controlling who gets to do what & who doesn't. all these high-ups getting fired or quitting over loyalty issues? that's just crazy talk. i mean, shouldn't they be focusing on solving crimes & keeping the country safe? instead, we've got trump playing a twisted game of power & silencing anyone who dares to question him.

and those pardons he's granting out like candy? it's basically a get out free card for his buddies... but at what cost? people are getting indicted left & right, even after serving their time. that doesn't seem very just or fair. i'm all for accountability, not this twisted game of loyalty & fear. ๐Ÿค
 
๐Ÿšจ This whole thing is super fishy, you know? I mean, firing people for not showing enough loyalty to Trump? That's just not how it works in a democratic country ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™‚๏ธ. And what's up with the pardons and clemency being used to silence critics and reward allies? It's like he's above the law ๐Ÿ™„.

And have you seen those 4,500 attorneys who took that deferred resignation program? That's a lot of people who are basically saying they can't do their jobs without fear of retribution ๐Ÿ˜ฌ. And it's not just the politicians โ€“ even former FBI officials are speaking out against this system ๐Ÿ‘ฎโ€โ™‚๏ธ.

I'm worried about what this says for the future of our country and its institutions ๐Ÿค•. We need accountability, transparency, and due process, not some twisted system that rewards loyalty to one person above all else ๐Ÿ’”.
 
omg, this is so messed up ๐Ÿคฏ... like, what even is going on in DC right now? Trump's regime of retribution is straight out of a thriller movie, but it's real life, folks ๐Ÿ˜ฑ. I mean, firing former senior FBI officials for not being loyal enough to him? That's just cold-blooded and cowardly ๐Ÿ’”. And the way he's using pardons and clemency to silence his critics and reward his allies? totally shady ๐Ÿค‘.

And can we talk about the fact that he's basically silencing whistleblowers and intimidating government officials into silence? That's a threat to democracy, imo ๐Ÿค–. It's like, if you're not in Trump's inner circle, you might as well be speaking against him out of fear ๐Ÿ˜จ.

I'm literally shaking my head thinking about this stuff... what kind of system do we have when our leaders are more concerned with silencing dissent than upholding accountability? ๐Ÿคฏ It's time for some serious reforms, like ASAP ๐Ÿ’ฅ.
 
omg, this is wild ๐Ÿคฏ - I mean, who knew trump was running a purge program in his admin? like, firing senior fbi officials for not being loyal to him is so sus ๐Ÿ™„, and now we're seeing high-ranking prosecutors getting dismissed or forced out because they won't play ball. it's like he's trying to silence all the people who are going to bring him down ๐Ÿ˜‚. and don't even get me started on the pardons - it's like he's just using them to reward his pals and silence his enemies ๐Ÿค‘. this whole thing is so shady, i'm not surprised more ppl aren't talking about it ๐Ÿ‘€. we need some serious accountability here and an end to this toxic loyalty system ASAP ๐Ÿ’ช
 
Back
Top