Trump Already Creating a 'Salsengbu'... "Considering Investigation Targets if Reelected"

Swing State Polls Show Biden Leading
WP "Former Chief of Staff Mentioned in Private"
"'Insurrection Act' Also Considered for Inauguration Day Protests"

With the U.S. presidential election just one year away, former President Donald Trump is reportedly considering concrete plans to use the federal government's law enforcement powers, including the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), to target forces that have been critical of him if he succeeds in winning re-election. There are concerns that if Trump is re-elected, American politics could plunge into a large-scale political retaliation battle.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

On the 5th (local time), The Washington Post (WP), citing multiple sources, reported that in recent months, Trump has privately expressed to aides and acquaintances that he would like the Department of Justice to investigate government officials who served in the Trump administration but later changed their stance and voiced critical opinions. Simply put, this means he does not intend to leave 'traitors' unpunished.

The individuals Trump mentioned include John Kelly, who served as White House Chief of Staff at the time; former Attorney General William Barr; former White House Counsel Ty Cobb; and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley. Trump is also said to have expressed a desire for investigations into some officials within the FBI and the Department of Justice.

All those targeted have publicly criticized Trump. Former Chief of Staff Kelly criticized Trump for calling fallen soldiers 'losers' publicly. Former Attorney General Barr refuted Trump's claims disputing the 2020 election results. Former Counsel Cobb and former Chairman Milley also took negative stances against Trump.

If Trump succeeds in his re-election bid next year, his aides are reviewing related matters so that he can immediately issue orders to the Department of Justice, and they are reportedly drafting specific plans, WP said. It remains unclear what charges or evidence would be used to justify investigations into specific individuals.

Trump is rallying his base by making 'retribution' a central theme of his election campaign. He has emphasized not only in private but also publicly that if re-elected, he would appoint a special prosecutor to investigate President Biden and his family.

Regarding these moves, Psychologist Prakash Krishnaswamy, a professor at the University of Virginia, expressed concern, saying, "If people in power indiscriminately attack opposition forces, it would be no different from a 'banana republic'?a poor country surviving on foreign aid," adding, "It is far from what we should aspire to."

Additionally, it has been reported that Trump's camp is considering deploying the military on Inauguration Day in case of potential unrest.

The scene when supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Most of Trump’s plans for a second term have been unofficially entrusted to right-wing think tanks, particularly a group called 'Project 2025,' which is reportedly reviewing a draft presidential executive order to deploy the military under the Insurrection Act. The Insurrection Act grants the president the authority to deploy troops for domestic law enforcement.

Trump did not activate the Insurrection Act during the George Floyd killing incident in 2020, the final year of his presidency, despite conservative calls to do so, but later expressed regret and said, "I will not hesitate next time."

However, in response to WP’s inquiry about this, Trump’s campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung avoided a direct answer, stating, "Former President Trump has always supported law and order and the defense of the Constitution."

Meanwhile, various foreign media polls conducted one year ahead of next year’s election show that Trump is likely to surpass President Biden and win in battleground states.

In a joint poll conducted by The New York Times (NYT) and Siena College, aggregating six battleground states, Trump led Biden by 4 percentage points, with 48% to Biden’s 44%. Trump was ahead in Nevada (52% to 41%), Georgia (49% to 43%), Arizona (49% to 44%), Michigan (48% to 43%), and Pennsylvania (48% to 44%). Biden led only in Wisconsin (47% to 45%).

If this trend continues until the election, NYT’s analysis suggests that Trump could secure as many as 300 electoral votes, well above the 270 needed to win.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.