Lawfare exposed: How Democrats weaponized justice against Trump
Commentary
By Tony Delgado, Real Clear Politics – January 11, 2025
Many Latinos praised President Joe Biden this week for affirming Edmundo Gonzales as Venezuela’s rightful leader. It was a powerful symbol of support against Nicolás Maduro’s corruption and persecution of political opponents.
But here’s the truth no one wants to say out loud: While Biden condemns Maduro’s lawfare abroad, he’s spent the last four years deploying the same tactics right here in the United States against President-elect Donald Trump. Under his administration, the Department of Justice has been completely weaponized against Trump, his supporters, and anyone daring to champion the vision of an America First agenda.
As a Hispanic entrepreneur with deep ties to Latin America, I’ve seen firsthand how authoritarian regimes use lawfare to persecute their political opponents and cling to power. My wife’s home country of Peru, for example, was in crisis for years before then-President Pedro Castillo tried to dissolve the nation’s Congress and declare himself dictator. The protests to get him out resulted in dozens of deaths.
Cuba has likewise seen lawfare get even worse in recent years despite decades as a nation run by despots. And last year, Nicaragua made it legal to seize the property of “traitors to the homeland.”
Last weekend, I had the honor of taking the stage at Mar-a-Lago alongside President Donald Trump, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), and former Mayor Rudy Giuliani. We came together to speak at the premiere of “The Eastman Dilemma,” a powerful documentary exposing Democrats’ relentless weaponization of the justice system and abuse of power. Watching this film, I couldn’t help but think of the millions of Latinos who fled places like Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua for a shot at the American Dream.
Latinos have fled these countries, chasing freedom and leaving behind corrupt governments, rigged elections, and the toxic grip of socialism. Many of them were shocked to find similar weaponization of justice systems against political opponents here in the United States.
They left behind corrupt governments, rigged elections, and the suffocating grip of socialism. And yet, here in America, we saw those same horrors unfold over the past four years:
- Peaceful protesters jailed without trial
- Endless lawsuits weaponized to silence Trump & prevent him from campaigning
- A justice system used as a political tool to crush American citizens’ freedom of speech
This is lawfare, ripped straight from the dictators’ playbook: Maduro in Venezuela, the Castro regime in Cuba, and Ortega in Nicaragua.
What Biden and the Democrats have done is shameful. But their hypocrisy is staggering. While Biden makes grand speeches about supporting democracy abroad, he’s busy undermining it at home. It’s a betrayal not just of Trump but of the very values that make America the beacon of hope for Latino families like mine.
As the founder of Latino Wall Street, I’ve spent my life empowering Latinos to build wealth and take control of their futures. But financial freedom means nothing without political freedom. That’s why I told the Mar-a-Lago gathering that Latinos know better than most that once democracy falls, it doesn’t come back. When censorship becomes the norm, when elections lose integrity, and when the courts become tools for oppression, the dream of America crumbles.
This isn’t just about Donald Trump. This is about all of us.
We have to fight back. The path forward starts in Washington, with the House following through on promises to defund politically motivated prosecutions and non-essential Justice Department programs. It continues with Senate Republicans demanding accountability from federal judges and DOJ officials, and both chambers holding committee hearings.
Both chambers need to hold committee hearings to expose abuses. But where lawfare may be most dangerous is in the states. New York has been ground zero, with legislators enabling frivolous lawsuits and lawmakers making three attempts to limit presidential immunity between 2019 and 2023 – all to facilitate vindictive prosecutions against Trump.
Contrast that with Georgia, where lawmakers passed a new law to have expanded oversight powers to rein in rogue prosecutors – a blueprint every state should follow.
Trump’s reelection has brought us together, but the fight is far from over. Another election is just four years away – giving us just enough time to educate our neighbors, support leaders who prioritize justice, and vote for candidates who will stand against corruption and align with our values.
Because if we don’t, America will no longer be the shining city on a hill. It will become the very thing millions of Latinos fled – a nation where political opponents are crushed, justice is for sale, and families like mine have nowhere left to turn.
The time to act is now. Let’s make America strong again. Let’s make America free again. And let’s ensure the values that built this great nation endure – for us, and for the generations to come.