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David Frum Warns Trump’s Second Term Is Eroding the Rule of Law

His Atlantic essay points to recent purges alongside high‑profile raids as evidence of a turn toward personal rule.

U.S. President Donald Trump can be seen speaking in the Oval Office August 22, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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Overview

  • Frum argues that the administration is pushing out career law‑enforcement officials and elevating loyalists, weakening institutional guardrails.
  • The FBI searched former national security adviser John Bolton’s home over classified‑records concerns, according to Vice President JD Vance.
  • Trump told reporters he was not briefed on the Bolton search, then said he could have initiated it because he is the “chief law enforcement officer.”
  • Frum frames the pattern of raids, personnel purges, and public threats as a normalization of retaliation that blurs the line between office and personal vendetta.
  • The White House rejected the criticism as partisan, while prominent Democrats and the New York Times editorial board warned the moves signal retaliatory tactics.