President Donald Trump announced Saturday that he has ordered the Justice Department to investigate Democratic leaders over alleged threats against Republican officials, donors and supporters without specifying the alleged communications or providing evidence of criminal wrongdoing.
“Democrats are threatening many people, including the Attorney General of the United States, with impeachment and many other punishments, even though they admit there is no reason to do so,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
The president said the alleged threat was “extortion at the highest level.” “I order the Department of Justice to immediately investigate this criminal activity!”
In his post, President Trump claimed that Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan was going to “go after every young person who believes in Republican values.”
President Trump appears to have been referring to a speech Slotkin gave at an event at the University of Chicago on October 13. “I want young people coming out of school to say, ‘I want to work for the Trump administration,'” Slotkin said at the time. “I want them to think, ‘Lord, that might put me in a lot of trouble that I don’t want, so let’s just stay out of that.'” I want you to send a message of deterrence. ”
Slotkin alleges that she, her family and staff received physical and legal threats after posting a November 2025 video in which she and other Democratic leaders called on the U.S. military to “reject unlawful orders” in the wake of airstrikes targeting boats in the Caribbean.
On November 20, President Trump called the video treason and said, “We have to set a precedent.”
The FBI contacted Slotkin and other members of Congress several days later. In February, Mr. Slotkin did not respond to an interview requested by the Justice Department regarding the video.
“Threats are what’s important, and I’m not going to respond to them,” the senator said in February. A federal grand jury later declined to indict the video participants.
Now, President Trump is claiming that Democrats are making legal threats against Republican leaders and their supporters.
“Republicans need to get smart and fast! Threatening letters have been sent to many innocent people by Democratic political leaders,” the president wrote.
The White House and Mr. Slotkin did not respond to requests for comment.
