Former official targeted by Trump says the president is trying to silence critics [View all]
Source: NBC News
May 5, 2025, 7:24 PM EDT / Updated May 5, 2025, 9:09 PM EDT
A former Homeland Security official whom President Donald Trump accused of potentially “treasonous” conduct fears he is under federal investigation and plans to challenge what he calls an illegal attempt to silence critics.
In an exclusive interview with NBC News, Miles Taylor said that he is prepared to “fight back” in court and that his repeated warnings that Trump would use presidential power to retaliate against perceived political enemies have proved accurate. “My concern was he would turn the government into a revenge machine, and that’s what’s happening,” Taylor said.
Since the president signed a memorandum last month calling for a review of Taylor’s conduct as a Department of Homeland Security official during Trump’s first term, government authorities have contacted former high school classmates and others associated with him, Taylor said.
“I have seen indications that they are out there, rummaging through my past, talking to people as far back as high school and trying to comb through my life,” he said. It was unclear what the focus of the federal investigation was or which government agency was carrying it out, Taylor and his lawyer said. The Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security declined to comment.
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/former-official-targeted-trump-says-president-trying-silence-critics-rcna204807
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