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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Calvyn]

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