As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to be inaugurated for a second time, many voices who had previously been critical of the former President have been singing a different tune, and hoping for harmony.
Big players in the business pantheon — especially in big tech — like Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg, both previously less than enthusiastic about Trump 2.0, have thrown in with their billionaire bro Elon Musk and sent money and praise to Mar-a-Lago, where Trump is organizing his transition.
Those pragmatic businessmen and their companies rely in part on the federal government — for contracts, favorable tax treatment, and laissez faire legal status, most notably the freedom to operate relatively unimpeded by too much regulatory friction.
It’s therefore in the best interest — indeed it’s almost a fiduciary obligation to their shareholders — for Amazon, Meta, etc. to maintain good relations with whomever occupies the White House.
As big business lines up behind Trump redux, another category of potential Trump retribution targets remains exposed to the incoming administration and some of the autocratic tendencies of the MAGA movement.
This group contains both skeptical media outlets and lawmakers on the Left (and sometimes the Right) who have made Trump a target in the past.
Big media, which is, after all, corporate, has already largely moved toward Trump in Zuckerbergian style, justifying the cozying up by claiming a need for “access” to the new White House.
But among those not moving to court Trump’s favor are legislators — and former legislators — attacked for their involvement in either of Trump’s two impeachments, the investigations into his 2016 campaign’s alleged collusion with Russia, members of the January 6 Committee, and others including civil servants in the DOJ and FBI and judiciary members, including prosecutors, judges, and special counsels.
His first term, Trump’s schemes to subvert democracy were thwarted by those around him who remained loyal to the Constitution.
This time, it’s clear that some of Trump’s nominees were chosen to enable his authoritarian plots.
It is on Ds and Rs alike to uphold the Constitution. pic.twitter.com/HxhvAIgH79
— Daniel Goldman (@danielsgoldman) December 9, 2024
Accordingly, names routinely trotted out as high on the “enemies list” are former Republican Congress members Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney, and California Senator-elect Adam Schiff. Also prominent on the list is Representative Dan Goldman (D-NY), who served as lead counsel in Trump’s first impeachment.
Goldman — unlike Bezos and Zuckerberg — is decidedly not looking to smooth things out with Trump.
In the video below, Goldman acknowledges that he has seen his name on “enemies” lists, and — while he doesn’t say he’s unconcerned — he does assert that he can “happily and ably stand up for” himself.
Goldman volunteers to be Trump’s target, especially if it means he can be a stand-in for presumably less resilient targets like career civil servants.
“I welcome that possibility,” Goldman says when asked if Trump will target him. “I hope that they put their attention on me and not the career men and women who are career public servants in the federal government.”
Goldman then challenges Trump directly, saying: “If he’s going to attack his enemies, please, bring it on, Donald Trump.”
Chris Wray’s resignation paves the way for Trump to use the FBI as a political weapon.
If he’s going to do that, I welcome him coming after me, as long as he leaves alone the patriotic, nonpartisan public servants in the Executive Branch. pic.twitter.com/l5F5PursJP
— Daniel Goldman (@danielsgoldman) December 12, 2024
[Goldman notes that he has the protections of the speech and debate privilege, which ostensibly keeps Congress members “privileged from Arrest” (except in cases of “Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace”) and protects any “Speech or Debate in either House.”]
Goldman may get his wish, as Trump — especially in nominating loyalist firebrand Kash Patel for FBI Director — has shown few signs of pursuing rapprochement with those who stood against him. The President-elect reiterated last week that he believes that members of the January 6 Committee should “go to jail.”