The Trump administration filed charges against former national security adviser John Bolton on Thursday, the latest target of an ongoing retribution campaign aimed at Donald Trump’s enemies.
Bolton surrendered to authorities on Friday for the charges over mishandling classified materials.
Bolton was the third person on Trump’s longtime enemies list to be charged by the justice department in recent weeks, an escalation of the retaliation he promised on the campaign trail. The former FBI director James Comey and the New York attorney general, Letitia James, have also been targeted since Trump publicly pressured the justice department to charge his opponents.
A host of people, including a former president and other high-ranking officials, have seen their security clearances revoked, and some have had Secret Service security details withdrawn. He has gone after entire law firms and universities, issuing rightwing demands and extracting free legal work or policy changes on campuses.
He has also targeted specific people, claiming they have committed crimes and directing his administration to investigate them. Some have been called out by name in presidential memos.
Here are the high-profile people Trump has aimed his retribution at so far.
John Bolton
Bolton, a former national security adviser to Trump in his first term, had his home raided in August by the FBI, which claimed he had classified documents. Bolton’s attorney has said the documents are “ordinary records” that are mostly decades old. The Trump administration fought Bolton on documents in his first term ahead of a book Bolton released. Bolton’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, said the charges “stem from portions of Ambassador Bolton’s personal diaries over his 45-year career – records that are unclassified, shared only with his immediate family, and known to the FBI as far back as 2021.” Trump said after the charges that Bolton was a “bad guy”.
Status of case: Charged on 16 October
Letitia James, the New York attorney general
James was charged on 9 October with bank fraud and making false statements related to a mortgage on a second home in Virginia, with prosecutors alleging she falsely claimed it would be a primary residence. The leader of the Federal Housing Finance Agency has made similar allegations against multiple Trump opponents. James has called the charges “baseless” and “political retribution”.
Trump pressured Pam Bondi, the US attorney general, to indict James, saying she was one of several opponents who was “guilty as hell”. Federal prosecutors had previously concluded there wasn’t sufficient evidence to charge her, but the prosecutor in charge of the investigation resigned under pressure and was replaced. James previously led a civil case against Trump’s companies for financial fraud, which resulted in a large financial penalty, though that penalty was later thrown out.
Status of case: Charged on 9 October in federal court
James Comey
Comey was the first of Trump’s high-profile enemies to be charged. A grand jury handed down an indictment on 25 September, charging Comey with making a false statement and obstructing a congressional investigation during a testimony to Congress in 2020. Comey is a longtime foe of Trump’s because of his role in the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Comey said after the charges: “I have great confidence in the federal judicial system and I’m innocent. So let’s have a trial. And keep the faith.”
Status of case: Comey pleaded not guilty to the charges on 8 October
Lisa Cook, Federal Reserve governor
Cook is a governor of the Federal Reserve who has drawn Trump’s ire because he wants the Fed to lower interest rates, and her removal would give his appointees a majority on the body. Cook faces similar allegations to James over mortgage fraud, with authorities claiming she designated two properties as primary residences. Cook has produced documents negating the claims. Trump is now trying to fire her for cause in the only way that’s legal, by asking the supreme court to weigh in. Cook has fought against the removal.
Status of case: The supreme court could weigh in this term on whether Cook can be fired
Gen Mark Milley
Milley, a former chairman to the joint chiefs of staff, received a pre-emptive pardon from Joe Biden before he left office, based on the belief Trump would target him. Trump has revoked Milley’s security clearance and withdrawn his security detail. His portrait was removed from the Pentagon. Pete Hegseth directed the Pentagon’s inspector general to investigate Milley.
John Brennan
A former CIA director under Obama, Brennan has long been on Trump’s enemies list. He was investigated and directed to have his security clearance revoked in Trump’s first administration. He is being investigated over the CIA’s handling of the Russian election interference investigation, but it’s said to be stalled. Trump’s CIA director accused Brennan of lying to Congress and sought a criminal referral this summer.
Jack Smith and his team
Smith, a special counsel, led investigations into Trump over the January 6 insurrection and classified documents, putting him in Trump’s crosshairs. Now, Smith is being investigated for potential Hatch Act violations, which his attorneys call “imaginary”. Beyond Smith, Trump has fired prosecutors who worked on those investigations.
Adam Schiff
Schiff, a senator and frequent Trump foe who led the House’s first impeachment of Trump, was named in the social media post alongside James that called them “guilty as hell”. The allegations against him also stem from claims of mortgage fraud. Schiff has said he was transparent on his mortgage documents and the investigation is political retaliation.
