Trump’s enemies list: Where the prosecutions and investigations stand
President Donald Trump returned to the White House last January, promising to hold his enemies accountable. “I am your retribution,” he repeatedly told supporters.
A year later, Trump has kept his promise.
Under Trump, the Department of Justice has pursued criminal cases against the president’s political opponents or people he believes are trying to thwart his agenda. From indictments against New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey to the most recent case, an investigation of Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich. Trump’s critics have found themselves threatened with criminal actions that could result in lengthy prison sentences or even death.
Some have called Trump’s moves a “weaponization” of the Justice Department, while others have viewed the investigations as necessary and long overdue. Trump says he was the victim of vengeful prosecutions after his first term and is merely seeking justice for himself and his supporters.
At an event at the White House last week, Trump reportedly criticized a group of federal prosecutors for not moving quickly enough to bring charges against his enemies. According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump called the prosecutors ineffective and weak.
Straight Arrow News gathered details from each investigation, including what’s next in each case.
Elissa Slotkin
Slotkin, a first-term senator from Michigan, said Tuesday she had learned that federal prosecutors are investigating her after she took part in a viral video in which she and other lawmakers reminded military personnel they had an obligation to refuse illegal orders.
Trump called the video “seditious,” adding in a post on Truth Social that it is “punishable by death” — even though the Uniform Code of Military Justice contains the same point made by the lawmakers.
According to The New York Times, Slotkin organized the video, which also featured Sen. Mark Kelly, who is also under investigation. Slotkin is a former CIA officer who served three tours in Iraq.
She called the investigation an effort to weaponize the federal government and intimidate her into silence.
“Facts matter little, but the threat matters quite a bit,” she said. “The threat of legal action; the threat to your family; the threat to your staff; the threat to you.”
John Bolton
In October, the Justice Department indicted former White House national security advisor John Bolton.
The DOJ charged Bolton with eight counts of transferring national defense information and 10 counts of retaining national defense information. The department alleges that Bolton shared highly classified information with his wife and daughter via email.
Bolton turned himself in to the authorities a day later and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Bolton served as Trump’s national security adviser from 2018 to 2019, until the president ousted him because he “disagreed strongly” with many of his suggestions.
After leaving the Trump administration, Bolton repeatedly criticized the president. He later published a book critical of Trump.
While the formal investigation of Bolton began in 2022, under former President Joe Biden, he was initially targeted during Trump’s first term.
James Comey
Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted in September 2025 on one count of making false statements to Congress and one count of obstruction of justice.
The charges were filed shortly after Trump publicly complained to Attorney General Pam Bondi that several of his political enemies had not been charged in connection with crimes he believed they had committed.
“They’re all guilty as hell, but nothing is going to be done,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sept. 20.
“We can’t delay any longer, it’s killing our reputation and credibility,” he added. “They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”
In October, Comey pleaded not guilty to the charges, which were tied to Senate testimony he gave years ago.
However, a month later, a federal judge dismissed the indictment after Comey’s lawyers filed a lawsuit alleging the prosecutor who filed the indictment was serving unlawfully.
The prosecutor, Lindsey Halligan, is a former insurance lawyer and close ally of Trump’s. Attorney General Bondi appointed her as interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
“Because Ms. Halligan had no lawful authority to present the indictment, I will grant Mr. Comey’s motion and dismiss the indictment without prejudice,” U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie wrote.
The Trump administration has since vowed to appeal.
Lisa Cook
In August, Trump attempted to fire Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, accusing her of mortgage fraud. He alleged that she declared two separate properties as her primary residence on mortgage applications in 2021.
Cook denied the allegations and filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration to keep her job. She claimed that Trump’s removal was politically motivated and violated the Federal Reserve Act, which only allows members to be fired for cause.
A federal judge ruled in Cook’s favor, allowing her to remain in her position. The case has now moved to the Supreme Court, which will hear arguments next week.
Despite Trump’s claims of mortgage fraud, Cook has not been charged with a crime.
The connection between Cook and Trump likely lies with his efforts to fill the board with people who support his goal of lowering interest rates.
Letitia James
The New York attorney general, who successfully sued Trump’s family business in a fraud case, was among those listed in the president’s Sept. 20 post demanding charges against his enemies. Days later, she was indicted on one count of bank fraud and one count of making false statements to a financial institution. She pleaded not guilty before her case was ultimately dismissed over the legality of the U.S. attorney’s appointment.
Since the indictment was dismissed, the administration has tried to indict her again, but to no avail.
James has been a long-time critic of Trump, calling him an “embarrassment” during her 2018 campaign for attorney general.
Mark Kelly
In November, the Defense Department announced it was launching an investigation into the Arizona Democrat for his role in the viral video about illegal military orders.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the investigation, saying Kelly was the only lawmaker who was subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which “prohibit actions intended to interfere with the loyalty, morale, or good order and discipline of the armed forces.”
The FBI also got involved in the investigation before the Pentagon announced the matter is now “an official Command Investigation.”
In January, Hegseth issued a censure of Kelly, a move that could reduce his rank and make him eligible for a smaller military pension. Kelly sued Hegseth and other top military officials, alleging the censure was an unconstitutional attempt to stifle political speech.
Jerome Powell
On Jan. 11, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell confirmed that federal prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into him. The investigation followed intense pressure by Trump for the Fed to institute sharp interest rate cuts — pressure that many of Trump’s critics say threatened the central bank’s historic independence.
The investigation stems from testimony Powell made last June about a multi-year renovation of the Federal Reserve buildings in Washington. However, Powell called it a political move to increase the administration’s pressure on the Fed to lower interest rates.
“This is about whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions — or whether instead monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation,” Powell said.
Since the news of the investigation, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have spoken out against the move, saying it could threaten the Fed’s independence.
Adam Schiff
In July, Trump accused Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., of mortgage fraud, saying Schiff misstated which home he used as a primary residence. Trump claimed the move allowed Schiff to secure a cheaper mortgage.
At the time of the allegation, Trump said, “I would love to see him brought to justice.” However, Schiff has since denied the claims and is reportedly preparing his defense.
An anonymous administration source told Fox News that federal prosecutors were investigating Schiff and his real estate dealings. However, the Justice Department declined to confirm the investigation to Straight Arrow News.
Trump reportedly complained at a recent meeting with federal prosecutors that Schiff still has not been charged.
Schiff, who led impeachment proceedings against Trump during his first term, has long been one of the president’s primary targets in Congress.
“This is just Donald Trump’s latest attempt at political retaliation against his perceived enemies,” Schiff wrote on X in July.
Eric Swalwell
Bill Pulte, the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, referred Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., to the Justice Department for a criminal probe in November. He accused Swalwell of committing mortgage and tax fraud related to his Washington, D.C., home.
Following the referral, Swalwell denied all the accusations, calling them politically motivated.
In a post on X, he said, “As the most vocal critic of Donald Trump over the last decade and as the only person who still has a surviving lawsuit against him, the only thing that I am surprised about is that it took him this long to come after me.”
Swalwell also filed a lawsuit against Pulte, saying he violated his First Amendment rights and privacy. He accused Pulte of using government records to access his and other Democrats’ mortgage records.
After the Jan. 6, 2021, riot in the U.S. Capitol, Swalwell sued Trump and his allies for injuries and destruction caused during the assault. He said the president should be held liable, and alleged that Trump posed a risk of “inciting future political violence.”
Who could be next?
While the list above only includes officials whom the administration is actively investigating or prosecuting, there are others whom Trump has accused of crimes.
According to previous reporting by Straight Arrow News, Trump has called for criminal charges against former presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, among others.
The post Trump’s enemies list: Where the prosecutions and investigations stand appeared first on Straight Arrow News.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
