Slotkin’s ‘Deterrence’ Remark Revives Conservative Fears of Targeting

Should young conservatives be concerned about facing social, political, and legal retribution if they work for President Donald Trump’s administration? Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) suggested as much. While speaking at the University of Chicago, the lawmaker said she wants to pursue "signature" cases against those who "enabled" the president, sending young people a message of “deterrence.”

“I want young people coming out of school to say, ‘Should I go work for the Trump administration? That sounds fun, I might get an opportunity,’” Slotkin said. “I want them to be like, ‘Lord, that might be buying myself a ton of problems I don’t want, and so let me avoid participating in that.’”

The truly troubling bit, though, is that Slotkin’s remarks are not unique in left-wing circles – and whether it’s debanking conservatives, collecting their personal data, or attacking them with lawfare, those notions often turn into action when the opportunity presents itself.

Trump Supporters Targeted

Just look at former special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Trump. Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, recently stated that investigators collected data on hundreds of thousands of everyday GOP supporters.

According to Grassley, whistleblowers revealed that Smith obtained personally identifiable information – including birthdays, credit card information, and jobs – on more than 639,000 people connected to the GOP, including roughly 148,000 who had donated even just $1 to Republican causes.

Did you buy a MAGA hat after the 2020 election? You might be on the list: At least one sheet took aim at those who bought Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign merchandise. Of course, Trump campaign staffers, “potentially includ[ing] campaign volunteers,” were among those targeted for data collection.

Law professor Jonathan Turley wrote that Slotkin had “said the quiet part out loud.” And her view isn’t an isolated one. “The new findings further corroborate that Smith and his partisan team aimed to map out the entire Republican Party apparatus,” Grassley said of the special counsel’s data collection.

Conservatives Debanked

Trump supporters weren’t just being added to Smith's lists. During President Joe Biden’s administration, major financial institutions reportedly discriminated against conservatives, closing accounts and refusing to approve credit.

According to a report by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), JPMorgan Chase, Citibank, Bank of America, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo, Capital One, TD Bank, PNC and BMO Bank all denied conservatives equal treatment, refusing services to a variety of organizations and businesses, including pro-life and religious groups. Industries that were viewed unfavorably by the Biden administration – such as those involving firearms, private prisons, and fossil fuels – were also debanked, the report revealed.

The banks reportedly claimed “reputation risk” justified what the OCC described as discrimination against conservatives from 2020 to 2025. In at least one incident, Wells Fargo employees refused to work with two firearms businesses because, in part, they feared supervisory pressure from federal regulators. “Under the Biden administration, banks could face greater supervisory pressure to move away from lending to the firearms industry,” noted the bank’s internal review.

Nothing New

In the film The Ballad of Buster Scruggs by the Coen brothers, a cowboy played by actor James Franco stands on the gallows with a noose around his neck. As he awaits his execution, he turns to his fellow prisoner and quips: “First time?”

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This is basically how many conservatives feel about being targeted by Democrats every time they take power. It’s not like any of this is new. More than 1,500 people were charged in connection with the January 6 Capitol riot, some facing lengthy pretrial detention. The Democratic Association of Secretaries of State even has an “Insurrectionist Tracker” with a searchable database for those charged in connection with the event. President Trump pardoned the J6ers, of course, but the group’s tracker is still up.

And who could forget when President Barack Obama’s IRS admitted that employees had unfairly scrutinized conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status, using terms like “Tea Party” and “Patriots” to delay or deny their applications? Some progressive groups were also flagged, though conservative groups bore the brunt.

Conservatives have reason to worry that such practices may be reignited. After all, Slotkin’s remarks suggest what at least some Democrats may pursue if they win.