Trump orders Justice Department to investigate Democrats for ‘threatening letters’ to Republican Party

President Donald Trump said Saturday he was ordering the Justice Department to investigate Democratic leaders over what he described as threats against Republican officials, donors and supporters, without identifying the alleged communications or providing evidence of criminal conduct.

“Democrats are threatening many people, including the United States Attorney General and others, with impeachment and many other forms of punishment, even though they admit they have no reason to do so,” Trump said in a Truth Social article.

The alleged threats, the president said, constitute “extortion at the highest level,” he wrote. “I order the Department of Justice to immediately investigate this criminal act!”

In his message, Trump claimed that Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan planned to “go after all the young people who believe in Republican values.”

Trump was apparently referring to a speech Slotkin gave at an event at the University of Chicago on October 13. At the time, Slotkin said, “I want young people coming out of school to say, ‘Should I go work for the Trump administration?’ “…I want them to say, ‘God, this could buy me a ton of trouble that I don’t want.’ I want that message of deterrence to be sent.”

Slotkin alleges that she, her family and staff were subjected to physical and legal intimidation after the release of a November 2025 video in which Slotkin and other Democratic leaders called on the U.S. military to “refuse unlawful orders” following airstrikes targeting boats in the Caribbean.

On November 20, Trump called the video a betrayal and said “we have to lead by example.”

The FBI contacted the lawmakers, including Slotkin, a few days later. In February, Slotkin declined to respond to an interview requested by the Justice Department about the video.

“The bottom line is intimidation, and I’m not going to stand for that,” the senator said in February. A federal grand jury later declined to indict the participants in the video.

Today, Trump claims that Democrats are threatening legal intimidation against Republican leaders and their supporters.

“Republicans should get smart, quick! Threatening letters have been sent to many people, all innocent, from Democratic political leaders,” the president wrote.

The White House and Slotkin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.