The Brian Lehrer Show Has Trump Undermined the DOJ's Independence?
Jan 16, 2026
Emily Bazelon, a staff writer at The New York Times Magazine and legal expert, dives into the alarming erosion of judicial independence during the Trump era. She highlights a bipartisan survey revealing concerns from former DOJ officials about the politicization of the department. Bazelon discusses high-profile resignations signaling deep institutional stress and analyzes the chilling effect of investigations on public service, particularly regarding Jerome Powell. She also considers strategies to resist this trend and the limited actions of bar associations.
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Radical Shift In DOJ's Role
- The Trump administration views the Justice Department as a tool of the White House rather than an independent agency.
- This marks a radical break from post-Watergate norms that protected DOJ independence.
Norms Failed To Hold
- Former DOJ officials initially hoped career norms would hold against politicization.
- After months in office, many became alarmed as those norms proved insufficient to restrain changes.
Manhattan Resignations Over Case Drop
- The Manhattan U.S. Attorney's Office saw resignations after being ordered to drop a corruption case against a public official.
- Prosecutors left rather than comply with politically driven directives to dismiss charges.
