Politics

A key MAGA lawyer is out for revenge. Will Trump follow suit?

Published

2 years ago

November 11, 2024

A key MAGA lawyer is out for revenge. Will Trump follow suit?

The morning after his decisive victory, President-elect Donald Trump enjoyed a quiet day at Mar-a-Lago, occasionally talking with world leaders and “thinking about the future,” NBC News reported, citing a senior campaign official.

That official also told NBC that, in the wake of his win, Trump’s “bitterness” was gone, stating there’s been “no talk of” special counsel Jack Smith or New York Attorney General Letitia James, two of the prosecutors who have vexed Trump the most through their respective criminal and civil cases against him.

Given Trump’s history of deriding — and threatening — his perceived enemies, the official’s assessment warrants a healthy amount of skepticism. But even if Trump’s allegedly lighter mood lasts, it’s not entirely mirrored by his key allies, including those who frequently come up as potential contenders for leadership roles in the next Trump White House or the Justice Department. Indeed, among that group is Mike Davis, a prominent conservative lawyer whose qualifications for leading the DOJ or serving as White House counsel are matched only by his public thirst for revenge.

‘We want him in a very high capacity’

There is no question that Davis has the resume to compete for those jobs, with experience that includes serving as the lead nominations staffer for then-Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley, during which he helped shepherd Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh through their confirmations. He has also clerked for Gorsuch, worked in George W. Bush’s DOJ, and served as an aide to then-House Speaker (and current Trump ally) Newt Gingrich.

But today, he is better known as the founder and president of the Article III Project, an organization that bills itself as bringing “brass knuckles to fight leftist lawfare,” and he commands serious attention and respect in the Trump world.

At an October campaign event in Colorado, where Davis primarily resides and practices law, Trump called him out by name, exclaiming, “This guy is tough as hell. … We want him in a very high capacity.” It’s moments like that that have prompted other outlets, like The Washington Post, to note Davis has “positioned himself to be a key adviser on legal issues and judicial selection.” And perhaps unsurprisingly, the Post also reported Davis had been “privately floated” by Trump as a potential attorney general.

Senate Judiciary Committee mike davis — Mike Davis, left, then-chief counsel for nominations for the Senate Judiciary Commitee, stands next to Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on Sept. 13, 2018.Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images file

Davis, for his part, has stated publicly he prefers Mark Paoletta, former general counsel for the Office of Management and Budget, for attorney general. Davis also said he would rather serve as Trump’s “viceroy” than as White House counsel, telling Trump adviser Steve Bannon in March that he would prefer to be a viceroy of Washington, D.C., “because I don’t like democracy.”

But here’s where things get scary. For a guy who disclaims any desire to fill an official role, he has been remarkably specific about what he thinks should happen next — and confident that it will.

For example, on Wednesday morning, when Trump was allegedly ebullient, Davis tweeted a very different “current mood”: “I want to drag their dead political bodies,” presumably referring to Democrats or some subgroup thereof, “through the streets, burn them, and throw them off the wall. (Legally, politically, and financially, of course.)”

And if that were not concerning enough, consider that on Wednesday and Thursday on X, Davis:

Instructed former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., to “lawyer up” because “[t]he evidence suggests you colluded with a key January 6th witness” — referring to Cassidy Hutchinson — “to commit perjury and obstruct a congressional investigation.” (There’s no evidence to suggest Cheney and Hutchinson did so.)
Dared New York Attorney General Letitia James to “continue [her] lawfare” because “we’re not messing around this time and we will put your fat ass in prison for conspiracy against rights.”
Suggested other state and federal prosecutors who have brought cases against Trump and his allies should be prosecuted “[o]nly for their real crimes. Like conspiracy against rights.”
Responded to NBC News’ report, based on one of his earlier posts, that Jack Smith could face “legal consequences,” with one sentence: “Fact check: True.”

Trump whisperer or just trolling the libs?

Is Davis, whom Donald Trump Jr. once called “the tip of the spear defending my father from these corrupt prosecutors,” a human crystal ball? Or is he just trolling the libs, a role he relishes? It’s purposefully messy. As Politico observed in a profile of Davis earlier this year, he “encapsulates a defining feature of conservatives in the Trump era: the dissolving barrier between reality and trolling, between serious political ideas and winking provocation.”

Of course, even if Davis were completely serious, he has no authority to put anyone in prison, much less indict them. And no court has found any merit to his accusation that prosecutors like James and Smith have maliciously prosecuted Trump, much less violated any criminal law.

Asked whether Davis is under consideration for any political appointments in the next Trump White House and whether the Trump transition team and/or the president-elect support Davis’ posts, Karoline Leavitt, the spokeswoman for the transition, offered only this statement on Thursday, “President-Elect Trump will begin making decisions on who will serve in his second Administration soon. Those decisions will be announced when they are made.”

BLN also sought comment from Davis, asking whether he genuinely believes Smith, James and Cheney should be prosecuted and whether he was speaking for himself and A3P, or whether his views are reflective of Trump and his transition team. A3P responded with a five-word statement on behalf of Davis on Thursday: “Nobody is above the law.”

Davis himself took to X on Friday to reiterate his support for Trump, but announce, “I am not going into his administration and am not under consideration for Attorney General.” He continued, “As I have made crystal clear, I do not speak for President Trump or anyone else.”

Still, NBC News reported Friday that while he is not leading Trump’s DOJ transition efforts, Davis is indeed among those involved, citing sources familiar with the matter.

So for my part, I intend to take Davis at his word as I watch for Trump’s transition announcements to begin in the coming days. But whether or not Davis takes a job in Washington, don’t count on his influence diminishing. And don’t expect him to forgive or forget.

Politics

Trump-backed Jay Feely wins GOP primary in Arizona’s battleground 1st District

Published

17 minutes ago

July 22, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Former Arizona Cardinals kicker Jay Feely cruised to victory in Arizona’s 1st District on Tuesday, one of the nation’s most competitive battlegrounds.

Feely, a close ally of President Donald Trump, leveraged Trump’s endorsement to topple former state Rep. Joseph Chaplik.

He’ll face a steep challenge defeating the Democratic nominee in November: The 1st District, which spans the affluent suburbs north of Phoenix, is one of House Democrats’ top targets after Trump won it by just three points in 2024. Feely is looking to keep the seat under GOP control amid a midterm year that presents major headwinds for the party.

Politics

Rep. Andy Biggs wins GOP primary for Arizona governor

Published

17 minutes ago

July 22, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

Trump-endorsed Rep. Andy Biggs has won the GOP primary to face Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs in November, setting up a marquee governor’s race in one of America’s most competitive states.

Biggs, a former chair of the hardline House Freedom Caucus and a close ally of President Donald Trump, easily dealt with his only serious challenger, Rep. David Schweikert, on Tuesday. Before the primary results were official, he had already begun pivoting to the general election against Hobbs, who is seen as one of the most vulnerable Democratic governors this fall.

Republicans feel bullish about their odds of flipping the governorship, after Trump carried the state by five points in 2024. But even though Trump won last time, the state has gradually shifted to pure tossup territory over the past few years, electing Democrats to both Senate seats, as well as the attorney general and secretary of state’s offices.

Hobbs had already shifted her focus to Biggs as well. Her campaign has amassed a significant warchest for the race and has already started running ads. Biggs, given his lack of a significant primary challenge, has been able to hold onto more cash than his GOP rivals, but is still behind Hobbs.

The race will test whether Republicans, who are starting down a potentially bruising midterm cycle, can reclaim the top office of a state that has long been a place of success for the party.

During the Republican primary debate, Biggs spent more time talking about his working relationship with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly than he did flexing his endorsement from Trump or highlighting his House record, including his time atop the Freedom Caucus. Instead, he tried to refocus on his bipartisanship in Congress and his leadership in the state legislature.

“I know how to reach across the aisle,” Biggs said during the debate.

But he will still have to contend with many of his past stances, including his role in trying to overturn the 2020 election.

And Hobbs is already working to ensure voters know where Biggs stands on key issues as a longtime member of the House, including his anti-abortion positions and his role in 2020. Her campaign has repeatedly attacked him as “too extreme” for the state and has dubbed him “basement Biggs” for keeping a relatively low profile throughout the GOP primary.

Politics

Trump-backed Mark Lamb wins Arizona House primary despite sex scandals

Published

17 minutes ago

July 22, 2026

Blue Light Newsroom

A scandal-plagued House candidate powered by President Donald Trump’s endorsement won a messy primary Tuesday.

Mark Lamb, the former Pinal County sheriff, overcame a late push from self-funding candidate Daniel Keenan in Arizona’s 5th District. Lamb will enter November as the heavy frontrunner in the deep-red Phoenix-area district to replace Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), who is running for governor.

Keenan had poured nearly $2 million of his own cash into the campaign and attempted to make Lamb’s alleged sexual misconduct and abuse of power central to the race. Lamb has denied the allegations.

But Lamb — bolstered by Trump and Arizona-based Turning Point USA — managed to ward off the attacks.

The race’s outcome reveals the strength of Trump’s endorsement, and it’s the latest example of how willing GOP primary voters have been to accept scandal-ridden candidates favored by the president.

Lamb, who served as sheriff until 2024, earned national notoriety as a gun-toting critic of the Biden administration’s immigration and border policy. He secured Trump’s backing for the 5th District contest last year.

Then in May, the Arizona Republic launched a multi-part investigation alleging that Lamb engaged in a yearslong pattern of sending sexual images and instigating intimate encounters between him, his wife and others. One woman involved, Jillian Stannard, accused Lamb of encouraging her husband to have sex with other women, including Lamb’s wife. She also alleged that Lamb threatened her, saying there would be consequences, when Stannard raised concerns to religious leaders.

Screenshots the Republic obtained of messages with another woman, Tammy Peacock, suggest Lamb — then a sitting county sheriff — threatened to leverage Arizona’s revenge porn law against her.

In a statement last week, Lamb spokesperson Ed Morabito told Blue Light News that “these allegations are false and come from long-discredited political opponents.”

Lamb did not lose any significant endorsements in the wake of the scandals — Trump reinforced his endorsement in mid-July — even as Keenan made the allegations central to his campaign.