Injustice: How Politics and Fear Vanquished America's Justice Department
by Carol Leonnig
View on GoodreadsThe Justice Department's independence was never written into law. It lasted only as long as presidents respected it. Leonnig and Davis draw on more than 200 interviews to follow a decade of pressure from Trump, from his first term through Merrick Garland's tenure and Jack Smith's two prosecutions.
Core ideas
- Pressure from the top: Trump pushed appointees to protect him, pursue his opponents and help overturn 2020, and the authors call the first-term posture a defensive crouch.
- Garland's hesitation: DOJ and FBI leaders shied away from the 2020 subversion and classified-documents investigations, and Garland was visibly unenthusiastic about the election charges.
- A trial run: By the second term, officials describe the department's role as carrying out the agenda the president was elected to implement.
Published2025
Pages492
ISBN9780593831380
ReadFeb 2026
