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Listing the Ways Trump Used Fear and Intimidation to Influence the 2024 Election [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-01-16
Listing out the ways Trump created and leveraged advantages in the 2024 election through the fear created by his threats, intimidation, and bullying.
Media Intimidation and Suppressed Endorsements:
We know that multiple prominent newspapers have killed and refused to publish their endorsements of Trump’s opponent due to fear of backlash from Trump supporters or political retaliation by Trump himself or a potential Trump administration. This artificially limited the public perception of support for alternatives to Trump.
The same climate of intimidation where we know this did occur almost certainly also pressured media outlets to soften criticism and avoid coverage unfavorable to Trump.
https://www.dailykos.com/story/2024/11/28/2289221/-Media-capture-is-no-joke
https://www.dailykos.com/story/2024/11/20/2287520/-Trump-s-Power-grab-against-Non-Profits-Call-Congress-Dems-Are-Caving
Pressure on Business Leaders and Donors:
Corporate leaders or major political donors might have been pressured not to support Trump’s opponents for fear of economic retaliation, such as targeted regulations, boycotts, or public shaming.
Well before the election many corporations that had pledged not to support Trump and those who had supported him reversed course.
Polling Place Bomb Threats:
All or nearly all targeted to areas expected to favor his opponent, and attributed to a hostile foreign nation known to favor Trump, or in a few cases, stochastic local actors.
https://apnews.com/article/election-2024-voting-turnout-election-day-a8ae22f34417dcda060b430dac89bdbc
https://www.news.com.au/world/north-america/us-politics/bomb-threats-a-security-scare-at-the-capitol-and-fake-videos-from-russia-disrupt-us-election/news-story/b56c465444fe3366270ba1803d25c537?
Trump’s Past DOJ’s Handling of Richard Burr’s Investigation:
The Department of Justice under Trump kept the investigation into Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election, open until the last day of Trump’s presidency, while closing out and rewarding senators accused of similar insider trading but who quickly and obviously became obsequiously loyal to Trump.
This action seems designed to have been perceived as a message to lawmakers that dissent will result in prolonged legal scrutiny, and successfully discouraged nearly all GOP congressional criticism of Trump.
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2020/05/15/is-the-fbi-attempting-to-silence-a-republican-senator/
https://www.npr.org/2021/01/19/958622574/doj-drops-insider-trading-investigation-into-sen-richard-burr
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/19/us/politics/richard-burr-stock-trades-investigation.html
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20200401/23222344219/senator-loefflers-covid-related-stock-trades-looking-even-worse-while-feds-start-investigating-senator-burrs.shtml
https://www.thedailybeast.com/sen-david-perdue-says-his-perfectly-timed-stock-trades-are-completely-innocent
Kash Patel's "Enemies List"
In furtherance of the above, Kash Patel, a Trump ally, now nominated by Trump for FBI Director, compiled a list of individuals he labeled as "Government Gangsters," which critics have referred to as an "enemies list." This list includes current and former federal officials, such as FBI Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland, and has led to fears for journalists and political opponents.
Such actions absolutely have the intended potential to foster fear among critics and limiting public dissent, discouraging individuals and institutions from openly opposing Trump which in turn deceptively influences the political narrative.
https://rollcall.com/2024/12/09/trumps-pick-to-lead-fbi-identified-government-gangsters/
Manipulation and Abuse of Federal Agencies:
Trump’s past use of federal agencies to investigate and surveil critics, under the guise of national security or law enforcement, is almost certainly intended to strike fear and deterred opposition.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-turns-full-force-government-perceived-political-enemies-n1010096
https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/source-leaked-documents-show-the-us-government-tracking-journalists-and-advocates-through-a-secret-database/3438/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2020/08/27/white-house-building-dossier-on-journalist-reporting-on-trump-private-businesses/#1430c5f89226
https://www.vice.com/en/article/jg8gn8/trumps-doj-secretly-forced-apple-to-hand-over-adam-schiffs-iphone-data
Trump’s Enemies and IRS Audits
The IRS under Trump launched extremely rare IRS audits against notable figures like James Comey and Andrew McCabe, only to clear itself of wrongdoing. Still, the message remains clear and stifling.
https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/irs-watchdog-clears-ex-commissioner-of-impropriety-in-random-audits-of-trump-foes-andrew-mccabe-and-james-comey/
Social Media Harassment Campaigns:
Organized online harassment against critics, journalists, and opposing political figures has almost certainly muted dissent or even forced individuals off public platforms.
Targeting Whistleblowers and Dissenters:
Government employees or insiders who considered exposing wrongdoing might have feared retaliation, such as public smears, job loss, or legal action, reducing internal accountability, due to Trump past action and the threats and hostility faced by those who have exposed Trump’s actions and misdeeds in the past.
https://www.stripes.com/news/army/lt-col-vindman-fired-by-white-house-after-testifying-in-trump-impeachment-will-retire-from-army-1.636781
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/media/voice-of-america-reporter-demoted-pompeo/2021/01/12/caa1b22c-5496-11eb-a08b-f1381ef3d207_story.html
Strategic Pardons to Silence Potential Witnesses:
Pardoning allies involved in potentially incriminating activities could have discouraged them from cooperating with investigations that might harm Trump politically. Trump has teased pardoning hundreds of violent offenders of the January 6th riot, and has commuted the sentence of Roger Stone,
"I said F*** the voting, let's get right to the violence." - Roger Stone - Trump political operative and militia group liaison whose criminal sentence was commuted by Trump.
Stone was convicted of crimes including perjury and witness tampering, to have his sentence commuted, and has since been accused of plotting the assassination of Trump’s perceived political enemies.
https://www.c-span.org/video/?c5035635/roger-stone-lets-violence
https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/26/politics/roger-stone-january-6-documentary-film/index.html
Weaponizing Intelligence Information:
Selective leaks or threats of exposing damaging information about opponents could have been used to manipulate political outcomes or silence criticism.
https://www.npr.org/2020/12/18/948210355/fbi-briefs-reps-pelosi-mccarthy-on-rep-swallls-ties-to-suspected-chinese-spy
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-swalwell-timeline-11608153592
https://www.wsj.com/articles/house-leaders-clash-over-swalwells-role-in-china-spy-probe-11607630755
Encouragement of State-Level Retaliation:
Encouraging Republican-led state governments to investigate or penalize political rivals or activist organizations could have discouraged participation in opposition campaigns.
Legal Threats Against Political Opponents:
Trump or his allies often used lawsuits and the threat of legal action to intimidate political opponents, activists, and organizations critical of him, discouraging them from speaking out or organizing against him.
For instance, during the confirmation process of Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary, senators faced pressure, threats, and intimidation from the Trump team, which aimed to silence potential witnesses and keep Republican senators aligned.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/the-pressure-campaign-to-get-pete-hegseth-confirmed-as-defense-secretary
https://newrepublic.com/post/188697/donald-trump-dictator-threat-republican-senators
Amplification of Violent Rhetoric:
Trump’s rhetoric has emboldened extremist groups or supporters to threaten violence against political opponents, journalists, or voters, creating a chilling effect on opposition activism and voter engagement.
Throughout his 2024 campaign, Trump employed violent and dehumanizing language against political opponents and elected officials. He has called for extreme measures against perceived adversaries, contributing to a climate of fear and potential intimidation among those who oppose him.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump_2024_presidential_campaign
Voter Intimidation Tactics:
Reports have indicated that far-right groups have employed voter intimidation strategies as part of their 2024 strategic plan. These actions, ranging from implied violence to subtle coercion, are designed to scare targeted individuals away from exercising their constitutional right to vote.
https://www.socialworkers.org/Advocacy/Social-Justice/Social-Justice-Briefs/Voter-Intimidation-A-Tool-in-the-Far-Rights-2024-Strategic-Plan
Suppressing Protest Movements:
Trump’s history of encouraging aggressive policing and legal actions against protest movements critical of Trump has almost certainly weakened organized resistance and voter mobilization efforts.
These tactics, whether directly ordered or encouraged by Trump or his allies, could have created a political environment where fear and intimidation suppressed opposition and bolstered his political advantage.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/09/us/politics/esper-defense-secretary.html
https://taskandpurpose.com/news/national-guard-heat-ray-protests/
Intimidation of Election Officials:
Election officials and workers have faced threats and harassment, leading to changes in how elections were administered, and likely reluctance to challenge misinformation about election integrity.
In September 2024, Trump threatened to jail election officials if he returned to the White House, exacerbating fears among those responsible for overseeing the electoral process. Such statements have been condemned by election officials, who view them as attempts at intimidation that could undermine the integrity of the election system.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-election-officials-decry-trumps-threat-jail-them-if-he-returns-white-house-2024-09-09
Intimidation of Pollsters and Analysts:
Example: Pollsters and analysts who have published unfavorable results for Trump have faced legal threats and public denouncement. For instance, pollster J. Ann Selzer was targeted by Trump's team, which accused her of "consumer fraud" and "election interference" following polls that did not favor Trump, despite such predictions being protected by the First Amendment.
https://www.thefire.org/news/fires-defense-pollster-j-ann-selzer-against-donald-trumps-lawsuit-first-amendment-101
Undermining Confidence in Democratic Institutions:
Repeated attacks on the integrity of elections and democratic processes may have intimidated voters, activists, and public servants, and almost certainly created confusion and reduced participation in opposition efforts.
Overall, this article from Medium summarizes it well:
"You can’t have a free and fair election with an insurrectionist on the ballot. The insurrectionist has already shown his contempt for the electoral process and his willingness to smash it. He can’t fairly “win,” because his mere participation taints the process. He can intimidate key players (rivals, journalists, election workers) with implicit or explicit threats of violence, made credible by the state’s failure to punish his previous violence. Trump has done this often.”
“By turning, so to speak, from the ballot to the bullet — or the knife, club, flagpole, or whatever his minions wield — the insurrectionist puts democracy itself in the crosshairs. If he dodges the law and lives to see another campaign, people around him will start to operate as if at gunpoint. Critics will blunt their attacks; all but the bravest potential challengers will wait for a less dangerous climate."
https://medium.com/@thegoodship/how-to-stop-an-illegitimate-president-f297b2058262
These fears are not theoretical. They are real. We have seen them play out and change our political landscape during this last election, and quite possibly permanently. Fear of retaliation influenced media coverage, political actions, and public discourse, from the highest government officials to the individual voter and social media participant. We can see where Trump’s various intimidation tactics have been employed, and how they create an environment that suppressed dissent and opposition, providing Trump with undue control of the atmosphere, narrative, and very likely the outcome in the 2024 election.
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