Atomic bomb has detonated’: Conservative says Trump planted a seed that could destroy DOJ

A conservative writer is sounding the alarm that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is in serious danger because of how Donald Trump has used his power as president. He says this is not just an ordinary clash between politics and law enforcement  it is something much deeper and more destructive.

According to him, Trump has reshaped the DOJ to work in a way that benefits him personally, punishing his opponents while protecting his allies, and this could have long-lasting effects on how justice works in America.

Presidents have always had some influence over the Justice Department. It is normal for a president to set certain law enforcement priorities, such as deciding whether to focus more on fighting drug crime, gun violence, or white-collar crime.

But traditionally, this influence has not been about political loyalty. Whether someone was a Republican or a Democrat, the laws were supposed to apply in the same way. The rules that guide the DOJ exist to make sure that justice does not depend on which political party a person belongs to.

The writer, David French from The New York Times, warns that Trump has broken away from these norms in ways that are far more extreme than any modern president before him.

He points to two big powers that make this possible: the president’s control over the attorney general, who runs the DOJ, and the president’s ability to grant pardons to anyone he chooses.

These powers were originally meant as checks and balances in the system, but French says they have become tools of revenge and favoritism under Trump. Trump has used them to shield his friends and political supporters from legal consequences and to target people he sees as enemies.

This creates what French describes as a “two-tiered system of justice.” In this kind of system, people close to the president can break the law and be forgiven, while his critics and opponents can be pursued harshly, even for lesser offenses.

This is a serious threat to the idea that everyone is equal under the law. French explains that this goes beyond normal political differences  it is not just a matter of one president having stricter or looser policies than another. It is about using the justice system as a weapon to reward loyalty and punish dissent.

French uses a dramatic image to explain the damage: he says it is as if an “atomic bomb” has gone off inside the Department of Justice. This means the damage is not just temporary or surface-level; it is deep and could take years, maybe even generations, to fully repair. He admits that the DOJ has never been perfect — it has had its own history of mistakes and abuses but what is happening now feels like a direct attack on the principles that are supposed to keep it fair and independent.

He also warns that the Constitution alone cannot stop this kind of behavior if too many people accept it or turn a blind eye. The laws and systems in place only work when there is a general agreement to follow them in good faith. If a president ignores the usual limits and a large part of the country supports him no matter what, those checks and balances can fail.

French believes that the only real solution is for the American people to reject this type of leadership. If enough citizens stand against it, the damage can eventually be repaired.

But if they continue to support Trump and the movement around him, the destruction to the justice system could deepen even further, making it harder and harder to restore fairness and trust in the future.