Targets of Trump's threats brace for the new administration

During the 2024 presidential campaign, Donald Trump made more than 100 threats to investigate, prosecute, imprison or otherwise punish his perceived enemies, including political opponents and private citizens.

Now, many of his targets are bracing for the possibility that the president-elect will enact an agenda of "retribution," as Trump put it.

"It would be naive and foolish for anyone not to take this seriously," said Mark Zaid, an attorney who represents several people threatened by Trump. "We have to prepare as much as we can for what might be coming."

Zaid has represented many current and former government officials who work in national security — people Trump often describes as members of the "deep state" out to subvert his agenda. Zaid also represented a whistleblower, who raised concerns about Trump's interactions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelynsky in 2019. That whistleblower's disclosure helped lead to Trump's first impeachment, and enraged the former — and future — president.

When Trump won the 2024 presidential election, Zaid said, he knew he needed to connect with his clients.

"A lot of it is to get folks ready. Secure lawyers, CPAs, securing finances, things like that," Zaid said. "Even being out of the country in the most extreme of circumstances."

People have more options to fight politically-motivated charges if they are abroad, Zaid said. So in a few cases, he has encouraged his clients to take an overseas vacation around the inauguration.

Zaid said he recognizes that leaving the country in the face of Trump's incoming administration might sound extreme. And he's hopeful that these steps won't be necessary.

"It's sort of like we know the hurricane is approaching on Saturday," Zaid said. "So we're gonna make sure we have enough food and water to be able to ride out the storm. We just don't know, unfortunately, how long that storm's gonna be."

And even if the Trump administration doesn't resort to criminal investigations of their enemies, Zaid said he's concerned about the possibility of politically-motivated IRS audits and firings of government employees.

He's not the only one worried about Trump's threats. Multiple sources declined to comment for this story, because they are concerned that speaking out now would make them a target.

Trump's announcement that he would nominate Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida as Attorney General has only deepened those concerns.

Gaetz is widely seen as a pro-MAGA hardliner and Trump loyalist. He actively supported Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election and previously called for criminal investigations of Trump critics, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former FBI Director James Comey. On social media, he has said he would "abolish" agencies like the FBI, which he would oversee as Attorney General.

Gaetz's nomination "seems to reflect an intent to make good on the retribution threat," said Mary McCord, a former federal prosecutor who served for nearly 25 years at the Department of Justice.

Still, McCord said she believes most career officials at the Justice Department will resist efforts to pursue purely political charges.

"He can direct his Department of Justice to open prosecutions, and if they are baseless, I do think there would be career prosecutors who say: 'this is baseless," said McCord, who is now executive director of the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at Georgetown Law. "There may be a few opportunists who want to use the moment to make a name for themselves and perhaps, move up within the department, perhaps even get a political appointment, hitch their wagon to Donald Trump. But I don't think that's the vast majority."

Regardless, even the threat of prosecution can have a chilling effect. And investigations, let alone prosecutions, can cause enormous stress and cost their targets hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees.

Trump's office did not respond to NPR's request for comment on this story and questions about whether the administration plans to prosecute political opponents. Trump repeatedly pledged to appoint a "special prosecutor" to investigate President Joe Biden and Biden's family on his first day in office. At other times, he has said "my revenge will be success."

Some of the president-elect's allies, have loudly pushed for prosecutions.

Steve Bannon, who helped run Trump's first presidential campaign and served as his chief strategist in the White House, has called for prosecutions of Special Counsel Jack Smith, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, among others.

"You deserve what we call a rough Roman justice, and we're prepared to give it to you," Bannon said on a livestream on election night.

Mike Davis, a right-wing attorney close to the Trump team who previously clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, threatened New York Attorney General Letitia James.

James brought a civil suit against Trump alleging widespread business fraud.

"I dare you to try to continue your lawfare against President Trump and his second term," Davis said on a podcast. "Because listen here, sweetheart, we're not messing around this time and we will put your fat ass in prison for conspiracy against rights. I promise you that."

The New York Attorney General's office did not respond to a message seeking comment.

As for Trump himself, just days after the presidential election, he posted online about rumors that he might be considering selling shares in his social media company, Truth Social.

"I hereby request that the people who have set off these fake rumors or statements, and who may have done so in the past, be immediately investigated by the appropriate authorities," he wrote.