Will Donald Trump succeed in his long-held goal of weaponizing the Justice Department against his political enemies?

Much of the answer will depend on the man he’s appointed to head the US Attorney’s Office in Washington, DC. That’s longtime conservative activist Ed Martin — or, “Eagle Ed Martin,” per his X handle.

Martin has made his priorities unmistakable. He wants to target Democratic politicians, the media, progressive groups, and the officials who investigated Trump. Meanwhile, he’s advocating for January 6 rioters and looking the other way when Republicans get into trouble. His office dismissed a case against former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) and failed to approve the DC police’s request to arrest Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) for domestic violence.

DOJ prosecutors take an oath to the Constitution and typically describe their mission as impartially administering justice. Martin, though, publicly called his team “President Trumps’ [sic] lawyers” on social media.

There’s no mystery as to why this is happening: This is what Trump wants. Indeed, Martin was initially put into this job as a temporary appointee. But according to CNN, Trump was thrilled with what he was doing, and decided to nominate him to the post permanently.

So who is Ed Martin — and how did he become the hatchet man for Trump’s politicization of justice?

The answer tells us a lot about how defense of political violence, embrace of legal combat against Democrats and progressives, and utter loyalty to Trump became a ticket to advancement in today’s Republican Party.

Martin spent years in the trenches of conservative politics

A review of Martin’s career history suggests he personally hasn’t changed much. He’s long been an inveterate self-promoter who becomes embroiled in turmoil and faces ethical questions wherever he goes.

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