Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., is accusing President Donald Trump of escalating a coordinated “weaponization” campaign against her after he ordered the Justice Department to examine remarks she made warning young Republicans they could face “a ton of problems” if they joined his administration.
In a Truth Social post over the weekend, President Trump accused Democrats of political weaponization and singled out Slotkin for “go[ing] after all young people that believe in Republican values” in her October remarks. “By copy of this statement, I am ordering the Department of Justice to look into this criminal act, immediately!” Trump wrote.
In a video response posted Monday, Slotkin defended her remarks, saying she was referring to people who might be asked to violate the law or misuse taxpayer dollars and citing her First Amendment rights.
“A couple weeks ago, I talked about how anyone who is violating the law or misusing taxpayer dollars should be held accountable, and if there’s young people who are thinking of joining people who are doing that, they should think twice,” Slotkin said. “If you’re not violating the law — no problem.”
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Slotkin said Trump began targeting her after her October remarks, first by “name-checking” her from the Oval Office before he “really ramped up his coordinated play” following Democrats’ midterm election gains. She also pointed to Attorney General Todd Blanche‘s Sunday television appearances discussing possible investigations. Slotkin said her attorney sent the Justice Department a letter Monday asking, “What are you going to do?”
The Justice Department has not confirmed whether it has opened an investigation into Slotkin. During an interview Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Blanche declined to identify a specific crime when asked whether Democrats’ rhetoric could constitute one, saying, “It depends on what’s said. So, yes, it could be.”
A DOJ spokesperson separately told NBC News that Slotkin’s comments should be evaluated under the facts and law but did not confirm an investigation.
Fox News Digital reached out to the DOJ for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.
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Slotkin’s original remarks also prompted a congressional ethics complaint. Michael Bicksel, a University of Chicago student who first publicized her comments, filed the complaint with the Senate Select Committee on Ethics on Oct. 22.
Bicksel argued that Slotkin had proposed using congressional investigations and potential prosecutions to deter young people from joining a Republican administration, asking the committee to determine whether her comments amounted to “improper conduct which may reflect upon the Senate.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Slotkin for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.
“It’s a coordinated, manufactured response,” Slotkin previously said about the backlash to her remarks concerning young Trump supporters. “They want to intimidate you to be quiet.”
Slotkin made the remarks Oct. 13 during a University of Chicago discussion about how Democrats could exercise congressional power if they regained control of Congress. Fox News Digital previously reported that Slotkin advocated pursuing “signature cases” against people who enabled Trump rather than focusing exclusively on the president. She also argued that the prospect of legal trouble could deter young Republicans from joining his administration.
The latest dispute follows an earlier Justice Department investigation involving Slotkin and five other Democratic lawmakers who posted a video reminding military personnel and intelligence officials that they were not required to follow unlawful orders. A federal grand jury declined to indict the lawmakers.
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In a letter to Blanche made public Monday, Slotkin’s attorney, Preet Bharara, argued that her remarks were protected by the First Amendment and the Constitution’s speech or debate clause. Bharara demanded that Blanche publicly confirm the Justice Department would not investigate the senator.
“Just like last time, Senator Slotkin will not be deterred,” Bharara wrote. “She will continue to call out corruption by this administration and to exercise her First Amendment rights to speak out against the President’s many abuses of power.”