Kamala Harris claims Trump will 'weaponize' Justice Department 'against his political enemies'

Vice President Kamala Harris, who is second in line to the White House, said in a speech that she feared that should Donald Trump earn a second term in office, he would "weaponize the Justice Department against his political enemies." She did not note, however, that her boss Joe Biden's administration was the first in history to prosecute a former president for alleged crimes committed in office.

Harris spoke at the 2024 Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans, Louis. Harris was asked by Essence CEO Carline Wanga about "how consequential this election season is." Harris may be looking to take the office herself as rumors swirl about Biden's incompetency to stand for a second term. 

"That is a word that's being used a lot but means something different as we look at what this particular season will leave us with if it doesn't happen in a way that this community needs to participate to make it happen," Wanga said. "Tell us a little bit about what consequential means in this time and why this consequential is very different than any other one we've had in recent history."

"Caroline, and everybody here," Harris began, "This is probably the most significant election of our lifetime. Y'know, we have said it every four years, but this here one is it. We are looking at an election that will take place in 122 days. Where on one side you have the former president who is running to become president again, who has openly talked about his admiration of dictators and his intention to be a dictator on day one, who has openly talked about his intention to weaponize the Department of Justice against his political enemies." She has previously lied about Trump's stance on abortion, saying falsely that he intends to create a federal law outlawing the practice.

That is, of course, exactly what her and Biden's administration is accused of doing in having launched investigations into Trump over his retention of classified documents upon leaving the office of the presidency—which every president has done before him—and over the Capitol riot of January 6, 2021. Bided was also found to have held onto classified documents from his time as vice president, though a Department of Justice special counsel determined that Biden was too "old" and "sympathetic" to stand trial for such a thing. The Supreme Court found last week that Trump was immune for any official acts of the office.

The notion of Trump being "a dictator" comes from a Townhall style interview Trump did with Fox News Sean Hannity in Iowa during the primary season in that state. "Do you in any way, have any plans whatsoever if re-elected president, to abuse power, to break the law, to use the government to go after people?"

"You mean like they're using right now," Trump replied. "In the history of our country, what’s happened to us, again, has never happened before. Over nonsense, over nothing. Made up charges. I often say: Al Capone, he was one of the greatest of all time, if you like criminals. He was a mob boss, the likes of which… Scarface, they call him and he got indicted once. I got indicted four times. I wonder what my father and mother would say looking down."

A few moments later, Hannity returned to the question, asking "I want to go back to this one issue, though, because the media has been focused on this and attacking you. Under no circumstances, you are promising America tonight, you would never abuse power as retribution against anybody."

"Except for day one," Trump said, going on to say that he intends to "close the border" and "drill," meaning increase American energy reserves. He referenced the continued asks about his potential to be a "dictator," saying "Other than day one. We’re closing the border and we’re drilling, drilling, drilling. After that, I’m not a dictator. Okay?" 

On Biden's first day in office he reversed many of Trump's executive orders on border security and implemented hundreds of his own since then, including pushing trans and DEI into every federal agency.