Dear John,
Richard Nixon compiled an “enemies list.” Donald Trump has made his enemies list into his government’s agenda.
No president in American history has done as much to use the power of government to silence his critics than Donald Trump. According to NPR, Trump has made over 100 public threats to prosecute, imprison, investigate, or punish those he considers his enemies. This is an abuse of power that Nixon could not have dreamed of.
In just the first nine months of his second term, Trump has already gone much further than any U.S. leader in using public office as a tool for revenge:
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His Department of Justice indicted former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, and ordered the FBI and DOJ to pursue investigations against Senator Adam Schiff, National Security Advisor John Bolton, and Representative Liz Cheney.
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He publicly called for the prosecution of Capitol Police officers who defended Congress on January 6, reposting a post on Truth Social declaring: “The cops should be charged and the protesters should be freed.”
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He has stripped billions in federal funding from universities like Harvard, Columbia, Cornell, and UCLA that refused to comply with his political demands on diversity, climate research, or hiring and enrollment practices. At UC Berkeley, the Chancellor gave in and handed over the names of pro-Palestinian students and professors.
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He pressured networks like NBC and CNN, calling for them to lose their broadcast licenses over unflattering coverage, and used the FCC to push for the cancellation of comedians such as Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel for mocking him on air.
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He’s even targeted nonprofits and advocacy organizations, ordering federal scrutiny of groups that criticized his administration’s policies.
Donald Trump has made clear: he views public service as a tool for personal revenge. This full-scale, multi-pronged attack cannot be tolerated in a democracy. Congress must act now to pass the No Political Enemies Act.
Tell Congress: Pass the No Political Enemies Act now. Protect the First Amendment and ensure that no president can ever use the government to punish dissent.
This is not leadership — it’s vengeance. The No Political Enemies Act is Congress’s answer to this dangerous abuse of power. It would:
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Prohibit the use of federal funds to retaliate against lawful speech or activism;
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Create legal protections for individuals, nonprofits, universities, and media outlets targeted for their political beliefs;
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Empower citizens and organizations to hold government officials accountable when they abuse their authority for partisan gain.
Trump and his allies have exploited moments of tragedy and crisis to expand executive power and silence dissent. The goal is to make Americans afraid to speak up — unless it’s to fawn over him with praise and adulation, of course.
Even Richard Nixon’s “enemies list” looks tame by comparison. Trump isn’t just compiling names — he’s using the machinery of government to go after them. The Constitution protects the people’s right to petition the government and speak freely. It’s still the law of the land, regardless of the president’s claims that he “took the freedom of speech away.”
It’s time to draw the line.
Tell Congress: Pass the No Political Enemies Act now. Protect the First Amendment and ensure that no president can ever use the government to punish dissent.
Thank you for standing up against this dangerous abuse of presidential power.
Robert Reich
Inequality Media Civic Action
