Congresswoman Maxine Waters Blasts Baseless Indictment of James Comey: “Trump is Dragging the United States Down the Dark and Dangerous Path Toward Dictatorship.”

Today, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43), issued the following statement in response to the Trump Justice Department’s indictment of former FBI Director, James Comey. 

“The indictment of James Comey is not just another headline. This is a five-alarm fire signaling the collapse of American democracy as we know it. Donald Trump is dragging the United States down the dark and dangerous path toward dictatorship. This indictment is nothing more than payback and retaliation. 

Let’s be clear about what’s happening: Trump is weaponizing the full force of the federal government to punish his political enemies. When there is no evidence to convict, he manufactures it. When prosecutors refuse to do his bidding by bringing forward baseless charges, he fires them. Just days ago, Trump publicly demanded that the Department of Justice prosecute Comey, declaring that ‘justice must be served, now!’ Just days later, his crooked and spineless Attorney General, Pam Bondi – whose loyalty to Trump runs deeper than her loyalty and allegiance to the oath she took to defend the Constitution – followed his order.  

We’ve seen this authoritarian playbook before. Including with his attacks against Senator Adam Schiff, but also in Trump’s deranged obsession with New York Attorney General Letitia James, which has led him on a sociopathic pursuit to fabricate charges against her and throw her in prison. When the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia declined to bring these baseless claims forward against her and Comey, Trump fired him.  

There are no ifs, ands, or buts – let’s call it what it is: Donald Trump is an authoritarian. He is systematically transforming government into a tool for personal and political revenge on his enemies. Any one of us who opposes him is a target and could be next. In fact, after the indictment of Comey, he’s made clear there will be more to come. Believe him. 

This is not what American democracy looks like. It’s what Putin’s Russia looks like, or Orban’s Hungary looks like.  

And let me be clear, anyone calling this anything other than an authoritarian campaign is choosing to ignore the clear signs. In just eight months, Trump has issued Executive Orders targeting universities, forcing them to pay millions of dollars over fabricated ‘violations’ cooked up by his shady and corrupt administration and EOs attacking private law firms, dictating which cases they may take and compelling them to perform pro-bono work for administration-backed causes. Those who refuse to bend the knee lose security clearances, access to federal websites or courthouses, and have had government contracts ripped away. 

And just last week, we witnessed perhaps the most chilling move yet in his war on free speech and the Constitution. Trump’s handpicked FCC chair openly threatened Nexstar Media Group, warning that its ABC affiliates must pull Jimmy Kimmel’s program or risk losing federal approval for a pending merger. Warning, ‘we can do this the easy way or the hard way.’ The administration has become so emboldened with their law-breaking; they’re not even bothering to hide it anymore. But let’s be clear, this, too, is unconstitutional.   

To my surprise, Republicans, the so-called champions of free speech and the party of law and order have been eerily silent all week as Trump tramples on free speech and breaks the law with impunity. What we know for certain is we can no longer count on them to defend the Constitution and stand up to Donald Trump. They have abdicated their duties as Members of Congress, but Democrats have not. 

And to corporate America, my message is: Do not bend to Donald Trump’s fascist regime. You do not have to cave to his threats. You do not have to be complicit in the silencing of speech, the erosion of law, and the criminalization of dissent. You have enormous economic, legal, and financial power. And you also have a choice: either stop Donald Trump or be remembered by history for your cowardice when democracy was on the line. 

Democrats will continue fighting to protect American democracy and the rule of law. But we cannot do it alone. I continue calling on the American public to keep resisting, keep showing up on the streets, and keep giving them hell!