The Department of Revenge: How Trump Took Control of American Justice

by Devlin Barrett

Dear American, No part of life in the United States has been untouched by Donald Trump’s relentless weaponization of the Justice Department. This is a cautionary tale about how, once a president amasses such power, future presidents may never relinquish it. Whose votes get counted and whose get tossed out? Who gets prosecuted and who gets protected, like Jeffrey Epstein’s friends? Who gets to run our colleges and schools? How do citizens protest without getting killed? For generations, the Justice Department has sought to enforce the law fairly, without fear or favor. But Trump came into his second term with one obsession above all. “I was the hunted,” he said. “And now I’m the hunter.” In this shocking exposé, the three-time Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter Devlin Barrett reveals the systematic way the president’s men and women have dismantled the department as it once existed and retooled it to hunt Trump’s enemies. This time around, the president and his team have been far shrewder about getting what they revenge against the people who investigated and prosecuted Trump; revenge against a legal system he believes was set to ruin not just his career but also his life; and, ultimately, revenge against the parts of America he despises. In a book filled with bombshells, Barrett describes how Trump’s adviser Stephen Miller runs the department and the FBI on a daily basis; how the White House decimated the justice divisions that protect civil rights and punish tax cheats; how prosecutors deploy a “charge first, ask questions later” approach against those they don’t like; and how lawyers are hired for the purpose of going after Trump’s personal targets, such as James Comey, Jerome Powell, Chuck Schumer, and even the mayor of Newark. Most concerning, Barrett shows how the Trump administration has shut down a program used to monitor and react to election security threats, raising concerns that future elections could be chaotic and that the Justice Department, rather than ensuring the integrity of the results, may instead serve as a megaphone for unfounded claims of fraud. This is the inside story of the damage—and a road map for putting our justice system back together.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Audiobook

304 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 9, 2026

Reviews

[Janene Martens]

Audiobook.

Just another documentary on how Trump is destroying democracy in the United States and the people willing to enable the destruction. Whenever Trump complains about the weaponization of the Justice System he is calling himself out. I haven't done a deep dive on Watergate but this seems to be far worse. At least Nixon resigned. Trump will neither resign nor get charged courtesy of a politicized Supreme Court. If you voted for Trump in 2024 you can take partial credit for this shitshow of an administration.

[Michaela Kollin]

It was nice to get a refresher on the many scandals of the second Trump administration’s Department of Justice. However, I had three pretty significant problems with this book.

The first is that a lot of what it covered has been widely reported by news outlets. Based on the endnotes, it looks like a lot of that reporting was done by Devlin Barrett, the author, for the New York Times, but I still wish I’d gotten more new information from this book.

My second major issue is that it felt very rushed to print. A lot of the sentences were pretty clunky and some of the explanations of what various departments within the DOJ do and how Trump’s DOJ is flouting the rule of law, shielding friends, and punishing political enemies in an unprecedented way was delivered like exposition on a bad tv procedural. I expect better from a nonfiction book written by a New York Times writer.

My third issue is related to the second. Not only does Barrett explain a lot of terminology and DOJ norms in a kind of clunky way, he also assumes a real lack of sophistication on the part of the reader. At times The Department of Revenge felt like it was aimed at a high school audience. Sometimes Barrett would use a simplified description of something without ever using the actual term, like referring to the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York as “the federal prosecutor’s office in Manhattan” without always connecting that description to the actual term. I get that this was written for a lay audience but it still felt a little bit overly dumbed down at times.

I liked that it covered events further into Trump’s second term, but if I’m comparing books about Trump 2.0’s DOJ, I’d recommend Injustice by Carol Leonnig and Aaron Davis for its better readability, its more in-depth focus and its greater trust in the reader’s familiarity with America’s legal and criminal justice systems.

[Kate Dizzy]

The Department of Revenge is a timely and deeply researched examination of the relationship between presidential power and the American justice system.
Devlin Barrett brings decades of experience covering federal law enforcement to a subject that is both politically consequential and institutionally complex. Rather than focusing solely on individual controversies, the book examines the broader transformation of the Justice Department and the potential consequences for prosecutorial independence, civil rights, elections, and public confidence in the rule of law.
One of the book's strengths is its detailed reporting. Barrett presents a wide range of events, appointments, investigations, and decisions to illustrate how the department's role has changed during Trump's second term. The result is a compelling contemporary record of a rapidly evolving period in American government.
The book also raises important questions about what happens when the immense power of federal law enforcement becomes closely tied to political objectives—and what safeguards might be needed to restore institutional trust.
An important read for anyone interested in American politics, constitutional government, law enforcement, journalism, and contemporary history. The Department of Revenge offers a serious and thought-provoking account of one of the most consequential debates surrounding the American justice system today.

[Kate Dizzy]

The Department of Revenge is a detailed examination of the relationship between presidential power and the American justice system during a consequential period in U.S. politics.
Devlin Barrett draws on his experience covering federal law enforcement to examine developments within the Justice Department during Donald Trump's second term. The book addresses prosecutorial decisions, appointments, civil rights enforcement, election security, and questions surrounding the independence and role of federal law enforcement.
One of the book's strengths is its focus on documented events and the people involved in them. Rather than treating the Justice Department as an abstract institution, Barrett examines how individual decisions and policy changes can affect the way federal power is exercised.
The subject matter is particularly relevant for readers interested in American government, constitutional issues, law enforcement, journalism, and contemporary political history.
Whether readers approach the subject from a particular political perspective or simply want to understand the developments being reported, The Department of Revenge provides substantial material for reflection and discussion about the responsibilities and limits of federal power.

[Mike]

The Department of Revenge is an infuriating but worthwhile look at the increasing politicization of the justice system and the dangers of wielding prosecutorial power as a partisan weapon. Devlin Barrett lays out how selective investigations and uneven enforcement can erode public trust in institutions that depend on impartiality.

Reading it in today's political climate was frustrating. The perception that allies can escape scrutiny while opponents become the targets of aggressive or ultimately unsuccessful prosecutions has fueled deep skepticism across the country. Whether you agree with every conclusion or not, the book raises important questions about accountability, consistency, and the rule of law.

[Steve Peifer]

This isn’t a balanced look at the current DOJ. Then again, it’s hard to be balanced about Ed Martin who was rejected by his Republican colleagues for his incompetence and rabid partisanship.

It isn’t like the Biden administration was a True North; Jack Smith overreached and miss the forest for the trees. Merrick Garland revered process and was puzzled by calendars and deadlines.

But compared to Pam Bondi and Todd Blanche, they were angels. The list of offenses is huge and deeply problematic. The damage to DOJ will take decades to clean up. The amount of pardons that have been granted to people who contributed money to Trump is unimaginable in any other administration.

It’s not a feel good book but it is a very powerful read.

[Herb Neumann]

Things we've known all along, but put together with more background information and in a fashion more conducive to understanding their significance. The flashbang approach taken by Trump makes it hard to focus on the larger plan, so this structured ordering of events allows one to perceive his plan. My perception of events has been stochastic; nothing about the administration's plans is random.

[Calvyn]

The only editions identified when I checked were Kindle and Audio, so my bookstore secured a copy for me. Hooray for independent bookstores!

[Holly]

5 stars. So good!

[Lauren | TransportedLFL]

Thank you to Simon and Schuster's History Buffs Book Club for the free book and to Simon Audio for the free audiobook. These are my opinions.

This felt quite factual and careful in its description of events. It especially focuses on Trump's second term in office and describes different series of events around prosecutions and appointments.

This read as incredibly well researched and grounded in accurate information. In most chapters, the author clearly chose not to editorialize or speak to implications of what it described. Frankly, it read like a book that expects lawsuits and was protecting against them.

Part of me wishes the book went further in editorializing. However, I still think it's an importantand necessary nonfiction. This contemporary history needs to be recorded and told. We need to not rewrite what has happened is continues to happen.

I did appreciate that the ending included a bit more in implications and prognostications on what happens next. Unfortunately, some of that was a little depressing.

4.25 stars

[Supriya Limaye]

I'm using this to document The Parlours of Futures Lost by Tony Walker