Rising This Week: 'The tool of a tyrant'

Trump's fear tactics at work inside DOJ, DHS and Portland — and a major milestone for All Rise News

Pam Bondi at a press conference announcing the deployment of troops in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

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During his first remarks following his indictment, former FBI director James Comey quoted his daughter’s words: “Fear is the tool of a tyrant.”

Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s former prosecutor Maurene Comey wrote that message in an email to her former Justice Department colleagues after Donald Trump fired her without explanation in July.

The full passage of her email is a call to action.

“If a career prosecutor can be fired without reason, fear may seep into the decisions of those who remain. Do not let that happen. Fear is the tool of a tyrant, wielded to suppress independent thought. Instead of fear, let this moment fuel the fire that already burns at the heart of this place. A fire of righteous indignation at abuses of power. Of commitment to seek justice for victims. Of dedication to truth above all else.”

Trump didn’t hide the fact that he was demanding the political prosecution of his enemies, and he would purge anyone in the government who stood in the way of that objective. On the contrary, Trump’s publicized his motives on social media and in a press conference. Why would Trump bother to disguise it?

Plausible deniability stands in the way of fear tactics.

Two days after Comey’s indictment, Trump said he wanted to send troops to supposedly “War ravaged” Portland, Ore., just like Trump purported to designate “antifa” a domestic terrorist organization, even though Trump has no power to do either under domestic law. Trump claimed to authorize “Full Force” against “domestic terrorists,” but the United States has no law specifically designed to punish domestic terrorism. That’s why nothing happened after Trump made his big declaration against antifa during his first term.

If Trump’s plans for Portland to resemble anything like Los Angeles, his troops will stand mostly idly in front of federal buildings, and any attempt to use them for civilian law enforcement will be challenged in federal court. (The troops deployed in California detained civilians a grand total of two times over the course of months.) Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield already filed a federal lawsuit against Trump, Pete Hegseth and Kristi Noem under the U.S. Constitution and the Posse Comitatus Act.

Here’s the common theme in the recent news: impotent stunts to generate fear. Comey’s prosecution will likely crumble. Three days into the case, only Trump’s inexperienced personal attorney Lindsey Halligan is on the docket for the prosecution, and the indictment has been ridiculed across the political spectrum.

Attorney General Pam Bondi has been reduced to boasting that a grand jury only rejected a third of their indictment, and a grand jury transcript resembles an Abbott & Costello routine, sparking confusion over whether Halligan signed the charging document that was “No True Bill”-ed. As conservative former prosecutor Andrew McCarthy wrote in the National Review, “no true bills should be rarer than lightning strikes,” and a grand jury’s bolt already incinerated what would have been the top charge of Comey’s case.

At least as of tonight, Halligan will try her first criminal case facing off against Patrick Fitzgerald, who formerly prosecuted the World Trade Center bombings, and seasoned defense attorney Jessica Carmichael.

If Trump even sends troops to Portland — and he’s reportedly having second thoughts — they might be another instance of the disrespectful use of the military as political props, and his antifa executive order might not be worth the cost of digital ink on the internet. Anti-fascist ideology is an idea, and as former FBI Assistant Director for Counterintelligence

Frank Figliuzzi

explained in a recent interview with me, a domestic terrorist organization isn’t in a statute in any law book in the United States.

This is not to downplay any of these schemes: All three are authoritarian to the core, but their danger lies in the possibility of a public that acquiesces to them, refuses to fight back, and voluntarily hands Trump power that he does not have.

Some major law firms, broadcasters, and universities already capitulated, which is why Trump’s power should never be exaggerated. Protesters in Portland seem to recognize that. People took to the streets there today for a demonstration titled: “Feds Out of Portland! ICE Out of Portland!”

In five short months, All Rise News went from an idea to a news organization with reach and staying power.

This newsletter now has nearly 23,000 subscribers, and our videos with the MeidasTouch Network’s Legal AF regularly reach more than 100,000 views on YouTube.

More than 1,000 people have chosen to support this newsletter financially with paid subscriptions, allowing me to make a living as a fully independent journalist. Our steady rate of growth makes me confident in its trajectory toward becoming a broader newsroom operating without fear.

That goal is fearless, unrelenting and empowering journalism that won’t play down Trump’s authoritarian threat – but refuses to magnify his powers beyond their actual reach.

To get there in a sustainable way, I need your continued support.

Every week, we list court hearings, protests, and other avenues for civic engagement to preview the upcoming news cycle and highlight opportunities for civic action. Paid subscribers can access those listings below.