Mike Davis, the man widely speculated to become former President Donald Trump’s attorney general if he wins the presidency again, laid out his provocative plans for a second Trump term during an appearance on Benny Johnson’s podcast, The Benny Show, Thursday. Davis, a former law clerk for Justice Neil Gorsuch and an outspoken Trump ally, revealed his ambitions to reshape the U.S. government through a series of aggressive actions he claims are already in the works.
According to a Daily Beast report, Davis, who is closely aligned with Trump’s political ideology, claimed to have “five lists ready to go” for when the former president returns to office, although he only named four specific targets. He promised to take swift and drastic action on a range of issues, particularly targeting the Biden family, immigration, and individuals involved in the January 6th Capitol riots.
“I will rain hell on Washington D.C.,” Davis declared during the podcast. He went on to outline his plan for a sweeping purge of the federal government, including specific references to criminal charges and mass deportations.
List One: The Purge of the Deep State
Davis began with a promise to “fire a lot of people in the executive branch of the deep state.” While he did not specify who would be fired, his language suggests that the administration would target individuals in the federal bureaucracy who are perceived as loyal to the Democratic Party or considered part of the “establishment.”
List Two: Indictments and Investigations
Davis then moved on to what he called his second list: indictments. “We’re gonna indict Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, James Biden, and every other scumball sleazeball Biden,” he said, referring to the president and his family members. He added that the only Biden spared from this list would be the president’s young granddaughter, whom he referenced in relation to the family’s political handling of her existence.
List Three: Mass Deportations
Davis also made a controversial statement about immigration, pledging to deport millions of people from the U.S. “We’re going to deport a lot of people—10 million and growing. Anchor babies, their parents, the grandparents,” he said. This remark echoes Trump’s 2016 rhetoric on immigration but has drawn fierce criticism for its harsh and dehumanizing tone. Davis also implied that children would be detained in “cages,” a reference to the controversial immigration policies implemented during the Trump administration’s first term.
List Four: Pardons for January 6 Defendants
Davis rounded out his remarks by discussing his fifth list—although he only named four in total—where he promised to grant pardons to individuals involved in the January 6th Capitol insurrection. “Every January 6 defendant is going to get a pardon, especially my hero horn man,” he said, referencing Jacob Chansley, the so-called “QAnon Shaman” who was sentenced to prison for his role in the riot. Davis’s remarks have sparked renewed controversy and concern about the potential for a Trump administration to undermine legal accountability for those involved in an attempt to overthrow the government.
Outrage from Critics
The comments quickly sparked outrage from critics, who fear Davis’s aggressive agenda represents an unchecked power grab that could undermine democratic institutions. On The New Abnormal podcast, co-host Andy Levy expressed alarm, calling Davis’s statements “outrageous” and warning that such ideas could put him in a position to wield unprecedented power.
“This is a guy who should be nowhere near the levers of power,” Levy said. “And instead, he is very possibly going to be the most powerful lawyer in the country. I believe everything he says in terms of what he wants to do.”
Co-host Danielle Moodie added, “One of the things he literally said, like bragged about and can’t wait to do is put kids in cages. That’s what he’s proud of.”
Levy also pointed to the previous administration’s controversial detention practices, referencing reports that during Trump’s presidency, the government sought to deny basic necessities like soap and toothbrushes to children in detention facilities. “They voted for the guy who had lawyers go to court and say, ‘We don’t need to give them soap,’” Levy remarked, criticizing the inhumane treatment of children at the border.
The Road Ahead for Davis and Trump
Davis’s comments signal a potential shift to an even more hardline approach in a second Trump administration, should that come to fruition. The fiery rhetoric and radical proposals continue to stoke divisions over how Trump’s political movement would govern if it returned to power. While Davis’s words are likely to resonate with Trump’s base, they are also fueling fears among his detractors that a new Trump administration could take the nation further toward authoritarianism.
As Davis and other Trump allies prepare for a possible return to the White House, the country will likely face a prolonged debate about the limits of executive power, accountability, and the future of U.S. democracy.
