Free Republic

Donald Trump and his allies have begun mapping out specific plans for using the federal government to punish critics and opponents should he win a second term, with the former president naming individuals he wants to investigate or prosecute and his associates drafting plans to potentially invoke the Insurrection Act on his first day in office to allow him to deploy the military against civil demonstrations. In private, Trump has told advisers and friends in recent months that he wants the Justice Department to investigate onetime officials and allies who have become critical of his time in office, including his...

WASHINGTON - Republicans adopted a new defense strategy this past week at President Donald Trump's impeachment trial in the Senate: boredom. A top White House aide called the trial "unwatchable," Trump's campaign manager compared the proceedings to watching paint dry, and several Republican senators entertained distractions while downplaying the three-day prosecution as repetitive and unexciting. "They're really not bringing forth new information," Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said of the House impeachment managers Friday. "I've not heard anything new," added Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. Barrasso and Scott were among 53 Republican senators who voted 10 times last week to block new...