Fight or flight: Fearful Trump critics weigh the risk of retribution if he's re-elected

Interviews with more than a dozen people who’ve run afoul of Donald Trump reveal deep worry that he will seek revenge if he wins another term.

WASHINGTON — If Donald Trump stood no chance of becoming president again, the Vindman family would be planning a milestone birthday celebration right now.

Alexander Vindman’s wife, Rachel, turns 50 next month. But rather than spend money on a party, she wants to save it in case Trump returns to the White House and tries to retaliate against her husband for being a key witness in Trump’s first impeachment, Alexander Vindman said in an interview. The family might need the money in case they have to flee the country.

“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” said Vindman, a national security official in Trump’s White House who was ousted in 2020 after Trump’s acquittal, but “that’s an indicator of the level of concern that she’s had.”

Retired Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman on March 9, 2022, in Dale City, Va.Andre Chung for The Washington Post via Getty Images fileThe Vindmans aren’t alone. Interviews with more than a dozen people who’ve run afoul of Trump for various reasons reveal deep worry among many that he will seek revenge if he wins another term. They are considering ways to protect themselves should he use the office’s vast powers to punish them over grievances that he’s been nursing.

Fearful of being hounded by investigators, prosecuted or stripped of their livelihoods, some are planning to leave the country if Trump is sworn in. Others are consulting attorneys or setting aside money to fight back in case they’re targeted either by Trump’s administration or by his Republican allies in Congress.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/donald-trump-retribution-fear-rcna139497

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