Trump's Hit List: Bolton Down, Newsom Next

Famed American journalist Bob Woodward has several books written on exposing the inner workings of the Trump White House. One is titled Fear, a nod to what Trump told him right after winning the 2016 election: "Real power is, I don't even want to use the word, fear." Instilling fear has indeed been Trump's chief strategy for dealing with political enemies. He never forgets a grudge, and he pursues retribution to the very end. The Financial Times ran a feature recently listing Trump's "revenge list."

The FT's Trump "revenge list" names the DOJ as chief enforcer, wielding criminal probes as its main weapon. First to fall: former National Security Advisor John Bolton.

Topping the list is former National Security Advisor John Bolton, a close friend of Jimmy Lai, who pleaded guilty last weekend and became the first name to be "taken down." Other names on the list will face judicial targeting in turn. Beyond settling personal scores, this ruthless campaign also aims to weaken the opposition camp. That explains why California Governor Gavin Newsom is the latest addition to the list.

Trump has a peculiar habit with the people he employs. Those he prizes and trusts as confidants one day can suddenly become enemies the next. Bolton is a textbook case. He pleaded guilty end of last week to improper handling of classified information. Trump once recruited him as one of his most trusted inner-circle figures, but the two fell out within just over a year and Bolton was fired. Bitter after his departure, Bolton wrote a tell-all book exposing White House secrets and trashing his former boss. That book turned him into a thorn in Trump's side.

Bolton is a China hawk, and that made him close with Jimmy Lai. He helped connect Lai directly to the White House and even met him personally in Washington in late 2019. After Bolton's falling-out with Trump, Lai suddenly lost his patron in Washington. Bolton himself soon became unable to protect even himself. Acting on Trump's orders, the Department of Justice searched Bolton's home, found classified documents, and brought charges against him. Knowing he was at the mercy of forces beyond his control, Bolton finally pleaded guilty last weekend.

The Financial Times feature notes that Bolton is merely the first enemy successfully "taken down" on Trump's revenge list. The list is long, and its names will be targeted one after another. It includes former senior officials, prosecutors, members of Congress, and even state governors. The newest addition is California Governor Gavin Newsom, seen as a potential contender for the next presidential race.

According to the report, Trump and Acting Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche personally draw up the revenge campaign's strategy. Their tactics range from criminal investigations to efforts at electoral removal. The Department of Justice serves as the main enforcer.

Next in line to face criminal prosecution, following in Bolton's footsteps, is former FBI Director James Comey. He drew Trump's ire by investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, and Trump fired him in 2017. Comey later wrote a book trashing his former boss, and the feud deepened over time.

Last year, Trump finally struck back. The Justice Department assigned prosecutors to charge Comey with making false statements and obstruction of justice, though a judge dismissed the case on procedural grounds.

The Justice Department, however, has not let go. It recently found a photo Comey posted on social media featuring the number "8647," and it is now charging him with intentionally threatening the president's life. The Financial Times reports that Comey is expected to be arraigned in September, with a trial to follow. If convicted, the consequences could be severe.

As for those currently under criminal investigation, the queue is long, and each will have troubles of their own ahead. The FT's list includes several heavyweight figures, among them former CIA Director John Brennan.

Brennan once bluntly accused Trump of being "obsessed with power" and suggested that the 25th Amendment could be invoked to remove him from office. That enraged Trump, who subsequently had the Justice Department launch a criminal investigation into whether Brennan lied to Congress and conspired to oust the president.

California Senator Adam Schiff and Representative Jasmine Crockett have also become targets. Both had called for Trump's impeachment, and both are now under investigation for alleged mortgage fraud. The man digging up evidence against them is Bill Pulte, a diehard Trump loyalist in charge of housing regulation. Pulte recently became Director of National Intelligence, and his successor is expected to continue the pursuit.

Under investigation on the same charge is another "enemy," Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. Trump targeted her after she refused to support interest rate cuts on his command. Pulte accuses her of violating housing regulations, and she is set to face trial.

According to the Financial Times, California Governor Newsom is the latest name added to the "enemies list." The Justice Department is investigating him and his wife over alleged tax irregularities. Newsom's response: "They have not found a crime - they are simply trying to find one."

Gavin Newsom (left) is Trump's newest target, a jab tied to his 2028 presidential ambitions.

Trump's targeting of Newsom appears to serve a purpose beyond revenge. Newsom stands a strong chance of running in the next presidential election. If law enforcement can dig up wrongdoing against him, that would seriously undercut his momentum and boost the chances of whichever successor Trump anoints.

This "Trump list" offers a clear-eyed view of how American politics is riddled with personal vendettas dressed up as governance. It proves that so-called democracy, rule of law, and fairness can all too easily become nothing more than a polished illusion.

Lai Ting-yiu

What Say You?

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If attacking Iran were a business, the US just took a total bath. Military spending in the hundreds of billions. Piles of expensive missiles written off. Bases and equipment damaged.

And what did America get? Nothing. It's actually worse off than before the war. Iran now controls the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump, the businessman, is of course furious. And like any cornered CEO, he's looking for someone to blame. With midterm elections looming, he needs to distance himself from this debacle. Pinning the failure on his subordinates is pure self-preservation.

The Washington Post dropped a bombshell yesterday. At an internal meeting last week, Trump lit into Defense Secretary Hegseth, saying that he thought the ammunition shortage "had been fixed". Now he wanted answers. Why, as defense secretary, had Hegseth let him be misled?

Hegseth, feeling the heat, didn't hesitate. He pointed the finger straight at Deputy Defense Secretary Feinberg. Feinberg, he said, had failed to keep the president fully in the loop. This isn't the first time Trump has used Hegseth as

Trump threw a tantrum at an internal meeting, ripping into Defense Secretary Hegseth. His demand: explain why he was misled on the weapons shortage.

So what set Trump off? Just days earlier, he was beating the war drum, vowing even bigger airstrikes on Iran.

Then came the war council meeting. That's when the bombshell dropped. Patriot missile stockpiles? Nearly gone. Other air defense systems? Critically low. The situation was dire.

Had Iran hit back hard, US forces in the region would be sitting ducks. Trump, faced with that reality, called off the attack at the last second.

Think about that. He was making life-or-death military decisions, and he still believed the US had plenty of ammo. Unbelievable. But here's the rule in Trump's world: the boss is never wrong. He never admits a mistake.

The Washington Post describes the scene at Camp David. Trump threw a fit. He demanded Hegseth explain why he'd been kept in the dark. Why did he think the problem was solved? In Trump's mind, the fault was entirely on the other side.

Patriot missile stockpiles are nearly depleted after the Iran strikes. The situation is dire. Trump made military decisions blind to the facts, then blamed Hegseth.

Hegseth, fresh off a brutal dressing-down, went straight into survival mode. He deflected. Deputy Defense Secretary Feinberg, he argued, was the one responsible for the weapons shortage. Feinberg had failed to make sure the president knew the real state of the ammunition stockpiles. Classic Pentagon passing-the-buck.

A History of Scapegoating and Pentagon Chaos

The two clashed at the meeting, reports say. It exposed Trump's simmering frustration with Hegseth.

Inside Trump's team, Hegseth was the top war hawk. He pushed relentlessly for war with Iran. That faction dominated the early stages of the attack. The dovish Vice President Vance only gained influence later. So Hegseth owns a bigger share of the blame for the decision to go to war.

The truth is, this wasn't new. Months earlier, in late March, with the Iran war bogged down, Trump publicly dumped the blame for starting the war right on Hegseth.

At a press conference, Trump looked directly at Hegseth, sitting beside him, and spelled it out. "Pete, I think you were the first one to speak up and you said let’s do it because you can’t let them have a nuclear weapon," Hegseth looked embarrassed, unsure how to react.

Analysts saw it coming. Trump, watching the war turn ugly, was already lining up a fall guy. Hegseth was the prime candidate.

The Pentagon was a mess under Hegseth. Political chatter had it that Army Secretary Driscoll could take his job.

But where there's smoke, there's fire. Hegseth couldn't figure out what Trump really thought. He saw Driscoll as a threat. So he moved first. He axed Driscoll's right-hand man and pushed his ally, Army Chief of Staff George, into early retirement. A loyalist of his took the spot. The Pentagon has been a snake pit of infighting ever since.

The Washington Post story dropped. White House and Pentagon spokespeople immediately denied it. Nothing like that ever happened, they said.

But let's be real: anonymous insiders who leak to the media often paint a truer picture than the official line.

The Iran attack is sputtering. And the calls for accountability will only get louder. With his absolute refusal to look weak, Trump will pass the buck however he can. Hegseth won't be the only one thrown under the bus.

Lai Ting-yiu