Retribution List: Trump Aides Seek Revenge on Critics in Government agencies and Contractors
The article “Retribution List: Trump Aides Seek Revenge on Critics in Government agencies and Contractors” published in The New York Times in February 2021 highlights a secret campaign by President Trump’s aides to take revenge on those who criticized or opposed the administration’s policies. The “enemies list” details the names and allegations against several government agency personnel, contractors, lobbyists, and state officials, with a view to firing them, demoting them, or entangling them in investigations. The main focus of the campaign is on those who have criticized the president’s handling of the pandemic and who obstructed his efforts to overturn the election results. The cases singled out in the list include former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield, former F.B.I. Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, and former C.I.A. Director John Brennan, among others. The article cautions that the revelation of the enemies list may yet reveal new targets and that the fallout could include heightened political tensions, legal consequences, and reputational damage. The author, Mark Mazzetti, has more than two decades of experience covering national security and politics for The New York Times and has written extensively on the era of counterterrorism under President George W. Bush and the response to the 9/11 attacks.
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