President Trump signed a new executive order Tuesday targeting law firm Jenner & Block, apparently to punish MSNBC legal analyst and host Andrew Weissmann, who once worked there and was a top deputy in the Mueller probe.
WHY IT MATTERS: Trump is using the White House to go after cable news critics—blurring the line between political power and personal vengeance. So much for only being a dictator on day one.
THE DETAILS: Weissmann has become a staple on MSNBC’s legal coverage and co-hosts the network’s podcast Prosecuting Donald Trump, which is now Main Justice.
- Trump’s order slams Jenner & Block explicitly for ever employing him, calling Weissmann’s hiring “entirely unjustified” and accusing the firm of betraying “the profession’s highest ideals.”
The order also attacks law firms that do pro bono work—despite Trump recently bragging about getting $40 million in free legal services from another firm he targeted.
THE BACKGROUND: Trump has made Weissmann a favorite target, regularly ranting about him on social media and at rallies since the Mueller investigation.
- His new executive order follows similar attacks on other law firms tied to lawyers who’ve helped investigate or prosecute him.
One such firm, Paul Weiss, caved to Trump’s demands after he went after them for hiring former Manhattan prosecutor Mark Pomerantz.
THE BIG CHILL: Former RNC chair Michael Steele called the latest order pure “payback,” blasting Trump’s abuse of power as childish and dangerous.
- Another Trump-targeted firm, Perkins Coie, is temporarily shielded by a judge’s order.
A spokesperson for Jenner & Block said the firm stands by its values and will “pursue all appropriate remedies” in court.
WHAT’S NEXT: Legal challenges are looming—but so is a dangerous precedent: Trump is turning the federal government into a blunt weapon against journalists and critics.