Trump targets Slotkin in call for DOJ probe of alleged Democratic threats to Republicans
Trump ordered DOJ to examine alleged threats against Republicans while singling out Slotkin.
Key points
- Trump said he is ordering the Justice Department to investigate Democratic leaders over alleged threats to Republicans.
- Trump claimed Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan plans to target young people who support Republican values.
- Slotkin said she, her family and staff faced intimidation after a November 2025 video drew Trump's criticism.
President Donald Trump said Saturday that he was ordering the Justice Department to investigate Democratic leaders over what he described as threats against Republican officials, donors and supporters. He did not identify the alleged communications or provide evidence of criminal conduct.
In a Truth Social post, Trump called the alleged threats "extortion at the highest level" and said he was ordering the department to look into the matter immediately. The White House and Sen. Elissa Slotkin did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Claims about Slotkin
Trump claimed in the post that Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat, is planning to "go after all young people that believe in Republican Values." The article says he was apparently referencing an Oct. 13 speech Slotkin gave at a University of Chicago event.
In that speech, Slotkin said she wanted young people to see working for the Trump administration as something that could bring "a ton of problems" and to avoid participating in it. She described this as a deterrence message.
The intimidation is the point, and I'm not gonna go along with that
— Sen. Elissa Slotkin
Slotkin's account of intimidation
Slotkin alleges that she, her family and her staff faced physical and legal intimidation after a November 2025 video in which she and other Democratic leaders called on the U.S. military to "refuse illegal orders" following airstrikes on boats in the Caribbean.
Trump called the video treason on Nov. 20 and said an example must be set. The FBI contacted lawmakers including Slotkin days later, and in February she declined a Justice Department interview request about the video. A federal grand jury later declined to indict the video participants.
