Trump Orders Investigation of Former Officials Turned Critics

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump instructed the Department of Justice to initiate investigations into two former key figures from his initial term who have since become vocal critics.

Throughout his campaign for the presidency and the early days of his tenure, Trump had often threatened investigations against political adversaries. However, the recent presidential memoranda publicly signed in the Oval Office mark the first formal directives of this nature.

Among those being targeted is an individual who penned an anonymous op-ed in the New York Times titled 'I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration' in 2018, followed by the release of a revealing book, 'A Warning,' in 2019. This person also founded the Republican Political Alliance for Integrity and Reform, commonly known as REPAIR, and endorsed President Joe Biden in the 2020 election.

While executing the signing, Trump expressed that he suspected this person of 'betrayal.'

This official had formerly held the position of deputy chief of staff under Kirstjen Nielsen, who served as Trump's Secretary of Homeland Security.

The second individual Trump aims to investigate served as the director of election security during Trump's first term. This person was dismissed by Trump in 2020 after publicly correcting misinformation concerning allegations of voter fraud during that year's election.

The dismissal closely followed a declaration by this individual and other federal authorities asserting the 2020 election was unparalleled in security, with no evidence of tampering or errors in ballot counting.

Moreover, following the January 6th Capitol incident, this former official recommended convicting Trump for allegedly inciting the disturbance.