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The Editorial Board
For Trump, Justice Means Vengeance
The editorial board is a group of opinion journalists whose views are informed by expertise, research, debate and certain longstanding values. It is separate from the newsroom.
President Trump is celebrating the anniversary of his return to power by accelerating his attack on the rule of law. He has spent the week leading up to Jan. 20 using the mighty powers of the Justice Department as an extension of his personal and political interests. The department has started a fabricated criminal investigation of the Federal Reserve chair, searched the home of a Washington Post reporter and created a White House-controlled fraud unit that would streamline partisan prosecution.
Mr. Trump does not attempt to hide his use of law enforcement powers for vengeance. He glories in it. Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported, he hosted federal prosecutors at the White House and complained that they were not moving fast enough to punish the rivals, critics and truth tellers he wished to target. This followed months of pressure by the president on his attorney general to do more to prosecute those who oppose his actions and those who tried to hold him accountable under the law in the past.
These efforts have become a defining feature of Mr. Trump’s second term, and it can be easy to become numb to them. We urge you not to. His usurpation of law enforcement power threatens us all. His meddling with the independence of the Fed undermines the economy. His attacks on members of Congress and the news media threaten people’s right to speak freely and hold the government accountable. His move to control investigation and prosecution from the White House portends an America where the state uses force to promote the political interests of its leaders, rather than uphold the laws passed by our representatives.
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The editorial board is a group of opinion journalists whose views are informed by expertise, research, debate and certain longstanding values. It is separate from the newsroom.
A version of this article appears in print on Jan. 18, 2026, Section SR, Page 11 of the New York edition with the headline: For Trump, Justice Means Vengeance. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe
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