In recent years, it’s become increasingly clear that the words and actions of politicians can have a very real impact on the safety and wellbeing of everyday citizens. This has certainly been the case with Donald Trump, whose frequent use of social media to criticize and attack his opponents has led to several individuals needing extra security measures to protect themselves from the harm that Trumps’s supporters can have.
Former Vice President Mike Pence remained loyal to Trump throughout his presidency, their relationship soured towards the end of Trump’s time in office. Trump publicly criticized Pence for not doing more to overturn the results of the 2020 election, and his ire eventually boiled over into a violent insurrection at the Capitol on January 6th, 2021. Pence was in the building when the mob breached it, and he was forced to be evacuated to safety as the crowd chanted hang Mike Pense. In the aftermath, he reportedly required additional security measures, as he and his family were subjected to threats of violence from Trump supporters.
Cassidy Hutchinson, an advisor to Trumps former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, testified in front of the January 6 Sub Committee telling them what she knew had happened in the White House involving Jan 6. In response, Trump attacked her on Twitter, calling her a “RINO” (Republican in Name Only), and suggesting that she should be thrown out of the party. Hutchinson said that she received “countless” threatening emails and phone calls in the aftermath of Trump’s tweets, including some from people who claimed to be members of the Proud Boys, a far-right extremist group. Hutchinson was forced to move out of her Washington D.C. and went into hiding due to the threats.
Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss became targets ofTrump’s after they were falsely accused of participating in election fraud during the 2020 presidential election. Freeman and Moss were poll workers from Georgia who were working at a ballot-counting center when Trump and his former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani spread conspiracy theories about the mother and daughter who were working at the center. Giuliani and Trump said publicly that Freeman and Moss were passing around USB drives as if it were vials of heroin or cocaine which there is no truth to. Freeman and her family began to receive death threats and harassment from members of Trumps base and they were forced to leave their home and go into hiding.
Michael Cohen, a former lawyer and fixer for Donald Trump, went to jail for lying to Congress about Trumps involvement with Russia. Cohen spent three years in prison. When released Cohen became a vocal critic of the president after he was arrested and convicted for his part of trying to cover up Donald Trump’s affair with Stormy Daniels, a porn star, while Trumps wife Melania was at home pregnant with their son Barron. Trump attacked Cohen on Twitter repeatedly, calling him a “rat” and a “liar,” and suggesting that he should be disbarred., which he was. Cohen later revealed that he had received death threats from Trump supporters, and that he had to hire bodyguards to protect himself and his family.
Liz Cheney, a Republican Congresswoman representative from Wyoming, who has been very vocal in her criticism of Donald Trump in recent months for his part in the January 6th insurrection. She was involved with the Jan 6 Sub Committee who suggested criminal charges be brought against Trump. In response, Trump attacked her on Twitter and called for her to be removed from her position in Congress. Cheney was primaried and lost her election in 2022. She has since reported receiving a significant number of death threats, and she has had to hire additional security personnel to ensure her safety.
Adam Kinzinger, another Republican representative who was targeted by Trump after he came out in favor of impeaching the president over his role in inciting the January 6th insurrection. Trump attacked Kinzinger on Twitter, calling him a “RINO” and a “loser,” and suggesting that he should be primaried in his next election which he was and lost. Kinzinger has received numerous threats of violence and harassment in the aftermath of Trump’s tweets, and he has been forced to take additional security measures to protect himself and his family.
Gen. Mark Milley is the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and he came under fire from Trump after the 2020 election. Trump reportedly considered firing Milley after he pushed back against the president’s suggestion that the military should be involved in overturning the election results. Milley also called Trump out for wanting to be a dictator saying that took an oath to the Constitution not one single man. Milley reportedly required additional security measures after Trump said he was treasonous and it should be punishable by death. Milley has since received death threats by Trumps base and needeed extra security.
Letitia James is the attorney general of New York, who led the investigation into Trump’s fraudulent business dealings in the state where Donald Trump, his two adult sons Don Jr and Eric as well as his Trump Organizations CFO Allen Weiselburg, have already been found liable of fraud. Trump has targeted her on Twitter, calling her a “partisan hack” and suggesting that the investigation is politically motivated. James has received numerous threats of violence because of Trump’s attacks, and she has had to take additional security measures to ensure her safety as well as the safety of her staff.
Fani Willis is the district attorney of Fulton County, Georgia, and she has indicted Trump for his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in the state of Georgia. Trump has attacked Willis on Twitter, calling her a “Never Trumper” and suggesting that she is biased against him. Willis has reportedly received a significant number of threats because of Trump’s posts lashing out against her. She has had to take additional security measures to protect herself and her family as well as her staff.
Trump’s rhetoric and threats online are so severe that during his New York civil fraud trial jurors had to be completely anonymous. Jurors had to use aliases amongst themselves never revealing their real names. Jurors had to meet in an undisclosed location to be bussed to the courthouse so Trump and his supporters would not find out their identities to help secure their safety.
The people listed above are just a few examples of the many individuals who have needed extra security measures after being targeted by Donald Trump on social media. Whether they were former allies who fell out of favor with the president, or officials tasked with investigating his actions, the common thread among them is that they became the subject of harassment, threats, and vitriol from Trump and his supporters. In an age of increasing political polarization, it’s more important than ever that we recognize the real-world consequences of the words we use online and take steps to protect those who are on the receiving end of abuse and intimidation.
