President Donald Trump signed an executive order to end weaponization of the federal government on Monday, despite left-wing claims that he would target political opponents.
The executive order, titled “Ending the Weaponization of the Federal Government,” accused federal law enforcement agencies and the intelligence community of abuse, citing the targeting of people who opposed the Biden administration’s agenda and the aggressive prosecution of individuals related to Jan. 6, 2021.
Democrats have repeatedly insisted that Trump will weaponize the government against his political opponents. After former special counsel Jack Smith resigned, Democratic Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin claimed Trump would use the DOJ to go after political opponents. (RELATED: As CNN Panel Complains About Trump’s J6 Pardons, Scott Jennings Reminds Them Of Inconvenient Truth)
Just a few days after Jack Smith officially resigned, Senator Dick Durbin says Trump will weaponize the DOJ and use it to target political opponents pic.twitter.com/Vdd4PFA3WK
— Cullen McCue (@CullenMcCue) January 15, 2025
“Rs once again spent time accusing Democrats of ‘weaponizing’ the federal government,” Democratic New York Rep. Dan Goldman posted on X. “Yet Trump has vowed to undertake a revenge and retribution tour if elected — promising to actually weaponize the government against his enemies.”
Rs once again spent time accusing Democrats of “weaponizing” the federal government.
Yet Trump has vowed to undertake a revenge and retribution tour if elected–promising to actually weaponize the government against his enemies.
With the GOP, every accusation is a confession. pic.twitter.com/cHFIhMQTXB
— Rep. Dan Goldman (@RepDanGoldman) July 9, 2024
Biden administration officials repeatedly prosecuted individuals opposed to the former president’s policies, including Trump himself.
Biden’s Department of Justice (DOJ) uniquely weaponized a KKK-era law to target conservatives and used the Freedom of Access to Clinics (FACE Act) to enhance the sentencing of those convicted. The Daily Caller was the first to report that Biden’s DOJ disproportionally targeted pro-life activists under FACE and prosecuted over a quarter of all cases the law has been used for.
The executive order highlighted the case of pro-Trump memesmith Douglass Mackey.
Biden’s DOJ prosecuted Mackey and convicted him of “election interference” for posting a fake ad that told Hillary supporters to vote by text. He was sentenced to seven months in prison, even though Biden’s DOJ appears to have ignored a left-wing group that sent misleading texts to voters. (RELATED: Deep State Creature Finally Gets What Was Coming On First Day Of Trump’s Term)
Ep. 38 The First Amendment is done. Douglass Mackey is about to go to prison for mocking Hillary Clinton on the internet. We talked to him right before his sentencing. Remember as you watch that this could be you.
TIMESTAMPS:
(3:12) The Hillary Clinton meme
(4:20) Hillary’s… pic.twitter.com/MLwz2SboGr— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) November 9, 2023
However, the Trump administration seems intent on reversing what it called the Biden administration’s selective political prosecutions.
The order states it is now U.S. government policy to “identify and take appropriate action to correct past misconduct by the Federal Government related to the weaponization of law enforcement and the weaponization of the Intelligence Community [IC].”
The order notes the roles the attorney general (AG) and the director of national intelligence (DNI) play to ensure the government is not weaponized against Americans.
The AG will consult with “the heads of all departments and agencies” to review their actions over the last 4 years and submit a report to President Trump “with recommendations for appropriate remedial actions.” The executive order directs the DNI to take similar actions to review the actions of the IC. (RELATED: CNN Host Says Dems Tell Her Biden Family Pardons Will Make It ‘Harder To Criticize’ Trump Pardons)
TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER: ENDING THE WEAPONIZATION OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
“The Department of Justice even jailed an individual for posting a political meme.” pic.twitter.com/8JzefPtETu
— Douglass Mackey (@DougMackeyCase) January 21, 2025
Trump’s pick for AG, Pam Bondi, told senators that she would put an end to the “partisan weaponization” of the DOJ.
“If confirmed as United States Attorney General, my overriding objective would be to return the Department of Justice to its core mission of keeping Americans safe and vigorously enforcing the law,” Bondi testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Trump’s DNI nominee, Tulsi Gabbard, has also spoken out against the weaponization of government, specifically regarding how she was allegedly placed on a TSA watchlist called Quiet Skies.
“I spoke out on Fox News about how dangerous it would be for us as Americans if [Kamala Harris] were to be the person with the nuclear codes,” Gabbard stated at a rally. “The very next day, I was placed on a secret domestic terror watchlist called Quiet Skies. No explanation, no due process.”
Trump signed over 200 executive orders within his first 12 hours of being president, including issuing pardons for the 1,500 Jan. 6 prisoners.