In the politically turbulent 1970s, President Richard Nixon’s administration compiled what became known as the 'Enemies List.' This was a covert register of political adversaries, from outspoken journalists to influential academics, targeted for harassment by the federal government. The project's stated purpose was to 'use the available federal machinery to screw our political enemies,' primarily through confidential tax audits and other bureaucratic obstacles. When exposed during the Watergate hearings, the list was considered a profound abuse of presidential power, precisely because it was a secret war on dissent.
Fast forward several decades, and President Donald Trump adopted a strikingly different methodology for dealing with his opponents. He, too, had a long list of perceived enemies, but his strategy was one of public condemnation rather than covert action. Through relentless social media posts and fiery rally speeches, Trump sought not just to obstruct his rivals but to delegitimize them and the institutions they represented.
This shift from clandestine scheming to public spectacle marks a perilous evolution in political warfare. Nixon's actions, once revealed, were almost universally condemned as a shameful overreach. The secrecy itself was an admission that such behavior was wrong. Trump's approach, however, sought to redefine the boundaries of acceptable presidential conduct. By openly calling for investigations into his rivals and threatening retribution, he treated the powers of the state as a personal tool for revenge.
The core danger lies in this normalization of weaponizing government against critics. While Nixon’s list was an attack on individuals, Trump’s rhetoric often targeted the very foundations of democracy—the justice system, the free press, and the electoral process itself. He cast them not merely as opponents, but as illegitimate actors in a corrupt system, a narrative that resonated deeply with his supporters.
This modern approach presents an unprecedented challenge. The damage caused by Nixon's secret list was contained by the scandal it created upon discovery. In contrast, Trump's public declarations of intent aimed to dismantle the very notion of shared democratic norms. The peril is not just that a president has enemies, but that the system of checks and balances is openly redefined as a weapon to be wielded, eroding public trust in the institutions designed to protect them.