‘Payback Time’
President Donald Trump is out for “revenge,” and “has an enemies list that is growing by the day,” according to a report by Vanity Fair’s Gabriel Sherman, quoting GOP sources.
“Republicans briefed on Trump’s thinking believe that the president is out for revenge against his adversaries. ‘It’s payback time,’ a prominent Republican told Sherman.
“Trump’s playbook is simple: go after people who crossed him during impeachment,” Sherman says, citing another GOP source.
Among Trump’s targets are his former National Security Advisor John Bolton, top Democratic House chairmen Adam Schiff and Jerry Nadler, and Republican U.S. Senator Mitt Romney.
Bolton is at the top of Trump’s enemies list.
“Trump has been calling people and telling them to go after Bolton,” a source briefed on the private conversations said. The source added that Trump wants Bolton to be criminally investigated. A person familiar with Trump’s thinking said Trump believes Bolton might have mishandled classified information.
According to a former official, the White House is planning to leak White House emails from Bolton that purportedly allege Bolton abused his position at the National Security Council. The official said that West Wing officials have discussed releasing emails “showing [Bolton] was doing pay-to-play,” the official said. A person close to Bolton dismissed the story. “John plays things straight,” the person said.
It is very well likely illegal for President Trump, or any president, to demand political prosecutions of his enemies.