WASHINGTON, USA — President Donald Trump on Monday, August 25, 2025, escalated his attacks on political opponents, pledging to “bring down” allies of former President Joe Biden, whom he described as “evil people.”
“There were some brilliant people,” Trump said in the Oval Office, referring to Biden’s White House circle.
“But they’re evil people, and they’re going to be brought down. They have to be brought down ’cause they really hurt our country.”
The remarks, delivered during a signing ceremony for executive orders targeting cash bail, marked the president’s most explicit threat yet to pursue legal action against members of Biden’s administration.
The comments intensified concerns among critics who accuse Trump of weaponising the Justice Department against political rivals — a charge Trump himself has levelled against Democrats in relation to his own legal battles.
Crime Push in D.C.
Trump, joined by Vice President JD Vance, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, used the occasion to highlight his anti-crime initiative in Washington, D.C.
The president claimed the capital had not seen a homicide in 11 days, though Metropolitan Police Department data show a 16-day stretch earlier this year without a killing.
He credited his decision to federalise the city’s police, deploy the National Guard and increase federal law enforcement.
Miller praised the effort, saying, “They’re wearing jewellery again. They’re carrying purses again. People had changed their whole lives in this city for fear of being murdered, mugged and carjacked. It is a literal statement that President Trump has freed 700,000 people in this city who were living under the rule of criminals and thugs.”
Some local residents, however, have criticised the deployments, saying the heightened federal presence has created fear rather than reassurance.
Expanding Investigations
The administration’s use of federal power has increasingly turned toward figures who have clashed with Trump.
The Justice Department is investigating Rep. Adam Schiff, Democrat of California, and New York Attorney General Letitia James, who led a civil fraud case against Trump.
Both deny wrongdoing, calling the probes politically motivated.
The US Justice Department is in the early stages of reviewing James’ handling of her case, which her attorney characterised as “a political retribution campaign.”
Separately, the FBI last week searched the home of former national security adviser John Bolton as part of what officials described as a “national security investigation in search of classified records.” Bolton has not publicly commented.
Trump also threatened to remove Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, who is facing separate allegations of mortgage fraud.
“If she doesn’t resign, we’ll fire her,” he said last week. Cook has said she will not step down.
On Monday, Trump left open the possibility of pursuing action against former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, one of his fiercest Republican critics.
Asked about the 2013 “Bridgegate” scandal, Trump said, “If they want to look at it, they can. You can ask Pam. I think we have other things to do, but I always thought he got away with murder.”
On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump added that “perhaps we should start looking at that very serious situation again.”
Political and Legal Context
The president’s remarks reflect a broader pattern of linking political grievances to federal investigative power.
Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing in his own legal cases, which included indictments over efforts to overturn the 2020 election, his handling of classified records, and falsification of business documents.
He has portrayed those cases — some of which were dropped after his return to office — as evidence that Democrats weaponised the legal system against him.
Democrats argue that Trump’s actions now amount to the very same weaponisation.
Meanwhile, Republican allies in Congress have called for testimony from Biden’s former aides and medical staff, pressing claims that Biden’s team concealed the former president’s health struggles while in office.
As Trump continues to frame his presidency around themes of retribution and crime control, his threats against Biden’s allies suggest the Justice Department’s role in domestic politics will remain a central and contentious issue heading into 2026.
