Trump Accused of Stifling Critics: Ex-Official's Allegation Against President
Rewritten Article:
A former Homeland Security official, Miles Taylor, who President Donald Trump accused of potentially treasonous conduct, fears he's under federal investigation and is ready to fight back. In an exclusive interview with NBC News, he revealed his plans to challenge what he calls an illegal attempt to silence critics.
Taylor, who is prepared to "fight back" in court, stated that his repeated warnings about Trump's potential abuse of power to retaliate against political enemies have been proven correct. "My concern was he would turn the government into a revenge machine, and that's what's happening," Taylor said.
Since Trump signed a memorandum last month calling for a review of Taylor's conduct as a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official during Trump's first term, government authorities have contacted former classmates and others associated with him, Taylor mentioned. He shared his concerns about authorities "rummaging through my past, talking to people as far back as high school and trying to comb through my life."
It remains unclear what the focus of the federal investigation is or which government agency is carrying it out, Taylor and his lawyer stated. Both the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security refused to comment.
During his tenure, Taylor wrote an anonymous op-ed, expressing concerns about Trump's lack of moral compass and the administration officials trying to limit his worst impulses. He later wrote an anonymous memoir before going public and opposing Trump's re-election in 2020.
Trump, in a December interview with NBC News' "Meet the Press" moderator Kristen Welker, stated that he would not direct the Justice Department to investigate his political foes. Asked by Welker in an interview that aired Sunday what has changed, Trump replied, "Well, no, I just look at people, and I'm not directing anybody."
Taylor denies any wrongdoing and claimed he's being singled out for expressing his opinion. He emphasized, "I know I've never broken the law. I know that I've assiduously upheld my national security obligations." He also highlighted the importance of Americans' First Amendment rights, stating, "You don't need a permission slip in the United States to criticize the president."
Given his public stance against Trump, Taylor revealed that his family's life has been turned upside down, forcing him to stop working as a cybersecurity consultant, and his wife to go back to work earlier than planned after their baby's birth. They have also adopted additional safety precautions due to online threats and vitriol directed at Taylor. "My wife has to read online about people saying that they'll put me in front of a firing squad," Taylor said.
Friends are now reluctant to be associated with Taylor to avoid any blowback. "People are scared to even talk to you because they're worried they'll lose their livelihoods," he stated.
While Taylor admitted that his public stance against Trump has come at a personal and professional cost, he said he and his wife have not considered trying to seek a discreet settlement with the administration. "Of course, it never crossed our minds that we would try to go settle," Taylor said. He expressed concerns about the administration using the threat of investigation to silence critics, stating, "That is insidious; that is un-American. You can't threaten Americans to not exercise their First Amendment rights because they're fearful the president of the United States will prosecute them."
Another former senior official, Chris Krebs, under an unspecified federal law enforcement investigation, was the subject of a similar presidential memo last week. Krebs declined to comment.
Trump targeted Taylor and Krebs in two memos issued April 9 revoking their security clearances and ordering the attorney general to review their actions in government. Krebs, as a top cybersecurity official, refuted Trump's false claims that the 2020 election was "rigged" and said there was no evidence of major fraud or vote tampering.
In his memorandum, Trump described Taylor as an "egregious leaker" whose actions were possibly "treasonous" and potentially a violation of the Espionage Act. However, Taylor insisted that he has always abided by the law and upheld national security. He also emphasized that criticizing the president was not a crime.
Taylor's lawyer, Abbe Lowell, stated that the president's memorandum is an unprecedented, unconstitutional attempt to use executive authority to target an American citizen. He and Taylor's legal team are considering a legal response and may not wait for the government to take the first step in court, Lowell said.
Lowell, who has represented various clients, including Hunter Biden and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, stated, "I think what we've seen across the last 100 days is that people are finding that they can ask the courts to be the protectors of the rule of law when it is appropriate. They're becoming proactive and asking the courts to rule in advance. And that's something that we're looking at."
- Miles Taylor, in his interview with NBC News, perceived the federal investigation against him as a potential attempt to silence critics, due to his outspoken opposition to President Donald Trump's actions.
- In the midst of the ongoing investigation, Taylor voiced concerns about the legislative boundaries, stating that the President's memorandum, targeting him and other officials, could be an unconstitutional misuse of executive authority.
- The general-news landscape has been marked by political debates over cybersecurity, as former officials like Miles Taylor and Chris Krebs call for maintaining First Amendment rights, and alleging perceived attacks on those expressing criticism against the President.
