President Donald Trump’s latest remarks are drawing serious legal scrutiny after he openly threatened to target political opponents by using the IRS — a move that experts say could violate federal law.
Speaking from the Oval Office on Thursday, Trump took aim at organizations that oppose his administration’s MAGA agenda, particularly those focused on immigration and environmental rights. In a striking moment, he even singled out one watchdog group by name.
“I have a group name, CREW, ever hear of it? It’s supposed to be a charitable organization, but the only charity they have is going after Donald Trump. So we’re looking into that, we’re looking into a lot of things,” Trump told reporters, referring to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a nonprofit that has long scrutinized his administration.
The statement sparked immediate backlash — and a warning that the president may have crossed a legal line. Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, called out Trump’s comments in a social media post, explaining that such actions are explicitly prohibited by federal law.
“It is literally a federal crime punishable by up to five years in prison for the President, VP, or any senior White House employee, to ‘request, directly or indirectly, any officer or employee of the IRS to conduct … an audit or other investigation of any particular taxpayer,’” Reichlin-Melnick wrote.
He also shared a copy of the statute, titled “Prohibition on executive branch influence over taxpayer audits and other investigations,” which clearly states the legal boundaries that prevent the White House from weaponizing tax investigations for political purposes, told Raw Story.
Trump’s comments appear to be part of a broader pattern of threatening rhetoric aimed at his critics, but this time, experts warn, he may have put himself in direct violation of federal law.
Though Trump has not officially ordered any audits or investigations, legal experts argue that even the public suggestion of doing so, especially when naming specific organizations, could trigger serious legal consequences.
As calls grow louder for accountability, Reichlin-Melnick’s blunt warning rings clear: threatening to use the IRS for political revenge isn’t just dangerous — it’s literally a federal crime.”
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