Behind the Headlines: How Trump Hijacked Justice

From judges to lawyers to media, Trump’s war on justice escalates.

With the lurid Jeffrey Epstein scandal in our faces every day, it’s easy to miss the bigger picture when it comes to President Trump’s judicial agenda. And that’s exactly how he wants it. The Epstein story is the perfect distraction from something far more consequential: how Trump is systematically corrupting our system of justice.

It started the moment Trump took office. He named loyalist Pam Bondi as attorney general—despite her open belief that the Department of Justice should abandon its tradition of independence and serve instead as an extension of the White House. In other words, DOJ lawyers would act as Trump’s personal legal team.

Before Bondi was even confirmed, acting Attorney General James McHenry began purging career DOJ lawyers who might resist Trump’s will. First to go were those who had prosecuted January 6 rioters—people who stormed the Capitol on Trump’s behalf in support of his deranged claim that the 2020 election was stolen. He later pardoned most of them, sending a chilling message: do Trump’s bidding, and you’ll be protected.

Others dismissed had played roles in Jack Smith’s investigations. One involved Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election (4 felony counts). The other concerned his mishandling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago (37 counts). Neither case went to trial—because Trump won the 2024 election. DOJ policy says sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted.

As the seasoned lawyers were driven out, McHenry declared they "could not be trusted to faithfully implement the President’s agenda.” Trump agreed—filling top posts with unqualified loyalists. Kash Patel, a far-right conspiracy theorist, was made FBI Director. His deputy? Dan Bongino, a MAGA media personality. Bondi’s deputy became Trump’s former personal attorney, Todd Blanche. Another former Trump lawyer, Alina Habba, was named U.S. Attorney for New Jersey—despite zero prosecutorial experience.

Trump then moved to punish private law firms that had represented political adversaries. Through executive order, he canceled federal contracts with them, barred their lawyers from federal buildings, and stripped them of security clearances. Some firms folded under pressure—Skadden Arps, for instance, agreed to provide $100 million in pro bono work for Trump-friendly causes. Others fought back in court—and won. But Trump had made his point.

He also targeted media outlets. Paramount, parent of CBS, recently paid $16 million to settle a Trump lawsuit over “60 Minutes.” ABC News paid a similar amount in December. Just days ago, Trump sued The Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch.

His DOJ has weaponized delay. Even when they lose in court, they flood the system with frivolous appeals. According to a Washington Post investigation, Trump’s DOJ simply ignores 35% of substantive rulings in key cases. In one incident, the administration defied a judge’s order to return an immigrant wrongly deported to a dangerous Salvadoran prison—taking two months to comply.

When defiance isn’t enough, Trump lashes out at the judiciary. He’s called judges “radical left lunatics,” “frauds,” and “psychos,” and has demanded their impeachment. His advisor Stephen Miller—his own personal hatchet man—has labeled the judiciary “Marxist” and “tyrannical.”

It’s working. A Pew Research report from April found that only 15% of Americans believe federal judges are fair. The U.S. Marshals Service announced in May that threats against judges have surged.

Meanwhile, Trump continues dodging accountability for his close ties to the convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Despite past promises, he now refuses to release federal Epstein files—likely because they could show just how close the relationship really was. Even his MAGA base is turning on him over this betrayal- for now.

But while the Epstein scandal makes headlines, the deeper crisis is what Trump is doing to the rule of law itself.

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In 2018, when then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions wouldn’t bend to his will, Trump erupted: “Where’s my Roy Cohn?” He meant: Where’s the ruthless fixer who will bend the law to serve me?

Roy Cohn, Trump’s mentor, was one of the most corrupt lawyers in American history—architect of McCarthy’s witch hunts, defender of mobsters, and a master of smear tactics. When the DOJ sued Trump for racial discrimination in housing, Cohn countersued for $100 million and called federal prosecutors “Nazi stormtroopers.” It worked. The government caved. Lesson learned: Intimidation works.

Now, Trump’s second term is filled with Roy Cohns—handpicked loyalists who don’t serve the Constitution, but the man. They bend justice. They smear judges. They ignore court rulings. And far too many Americans aren’t paying attention.

While this is working so far, the key to whether it is long term successful is whether we collectively are intimidated, or refuse to be. South Park, refused to be. Columbia University, was intimidated. They only have as much power as they are allowed, and we need to stop allowing them to win. They are small people.