Trump Wants To ‘Defund’ FBI, DOJ After Historic Arraignment

Topline

Former President Donald Trump urged Republican lawmakers to “defund” the Justice Department and the FBI on Wednesday, a day after his historic indictment and casting himself as the victim of law enforcement agencies he claims have been hijacked by the left to prevent him from being re-elected president.

Former President Donald Trump speaks at his Mar-a-Lago estate Tuesday, April 4, 2023, in Palm Beach, … [+] Fla., after being arraigned earlier in the day in New York City. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Key Facts

Trump urged GOP Congress members to “defund the DOJ and the FBI until they come to their senses,” claiming “Democrats have totally weaponized law enforcement in our country” in an attempt to “viciously” interfere with elections, he wrote on Truth Social.

The message is laced with irony on two fronts: Trump is the one under investigation for election interference in Georgia, while the “defund” language is borrowed from left-leaning calls for police reform (which Democrats have largely abandoned amid rising crime rates).

The narrative also plays into President Joe Biden’s and Democrats’ attempts to flip the script on the “defund” narrative by claiming the GOP now wants to “defund” law enforcement, while pointing to the various Republican-led investigations into Trump’s conduct, including Justice Department probes into his role in the January 6 Capitol riots and handling of classified documents after leaving office.

The Truth Social post echoes Trump’s post-indictment speech on Tuesday night, where he launched personal attacks on law enforcement officials involved in cases against him, including the Manhattan criminal court judge who oversaw his Tuesday arraignment, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, DOJ special counsel Jack Smith, the Fulton County District Attorney investigating his role in efforts to overturn election results in the state, the New York Attorney General who filed a civil lawsuit against the Trump Organization, the FBI agents who raided his Mar-A-Lago home and the federal intelligence officers who cast doubt on the legitimacy of the infamous laptop linked to Hunter Biden.

Crucial Quote

“Our justice system has become lawless. They’re using it now in addition to everything else to win elections,” Trump said Tuesday night from Mar-A-Lago, while claiming “the only crime that I have committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who seek to destroy it.”

Key Background

Trump was arraigned Tuesday on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection to hush-money schemes prosecutors said he helped orchestrate to cover up allegations of three extramarital affairs—marking the first-ever criminal prosecution of a former U.S. president. In the weeks leading up to the indictment, Trump and his allies in Congress have claimed the Manhattan District Attorney’s office is leading a politically motivated investigation designed to hinder Trump’s chances of re-election as he wages a third run for the presidency. Trump’s campaign is leaning into the narrative and his voter base appears to be responding: his advisor Jason Miller said his campaign raised $10 million in the five days since he was indicted following a fundraising push that highlighted what he claims is “political persecution.” And polls show his standing among voters has climbed over the past several weeks—a CNN/SSRS poll released Monday, and taken after he was indicted on Thursday, found his overall approval rating is up two points since the groups’ previous survey in January, consistent with a Harvard/CAPS poll released last week that shows he has gained four points among GOP voters who said they plan to cast their ballots for him in the 2024 Republican presidential primary race.

What To Watch For

Conservative lawmakers have said they will take into account the GOP-led House Judiciary Committee’s wide-ranging investigation into the “weaponization of the federal government” in the ongoing fiscal year 2024 budget negotiations. “The focus of what we do in terms of immediate cuts should be reducing the weaponization of government,” Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.) told Axios last month.

Contra

Trump’s “defund” language appears to bolster the White House’s narrative surrounding the Republican attacks on law enforcement agencies. “These same House Republicans who opposed the President’s bipartisan reforms are now threatening to defund or abolish law enforcement agencies,” White House spokesperson Ian Sams told Axios last month.

Trump Wants To ‘Defund’ FBI, DOJ After Historic Arraignment—Echoing Biden Attacks