WASHINGTON − Former President Donald Trump is informing his supporters that he will seek “retribution” if he wins in November. He expresses intent to unleash the military and National Guard against what he terms the “enemy within,” specifically targeting those who oppose him, including prominent Democrats like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

While Trump does not provide specific details about his plans, a former high-ranking Trump national security official is actively recruiting volunteers across the country to help realize these ambitions.

This individual is Michael Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general and Trump’s inaugural White House national security advisor. Flynn, who was previously convicted of a crime, claims he was pushed out by what he refers to as the “Deep State” within the national security operations after leading the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency.

Supporting Flynn is his long-term aide, Ivan Raiklin, an intense former Green Beret, retired Army Reserve lieutenant colonel, and former DIA staff member, who also practices law with conservative leanings.

Both Flynn and Raiklin are among the key figures advocating for legal actions, and even violent responses, towards Trump’s political adversaries.

Raiklin has labeled himself as Trump’s “Secretary of Retribution” and has compiled a “Deep State Target List” comprising over 350 individuals he plans to pursue should Trump return to power.

Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. James Clapper, a former U.S. director of National Intelligence and DIA chief, expressed disbelief at the state of the nation, stating, “It’s just unthinkable that our country has come to this.”

Javed Ali, who served as a senior official on the National Security Council during Trump’s term, described the agendas of Flynn and Raiklin as “very unsettling,” particularly given Flynn’s previous high military rank.

Flynn and Raiklin have been traveling the country promoting a radical, anti-government version of Christian nationalism, decrying what they perceive as a “woke” infiltration of America by those who they claim are aligned with communist sentiments and China.

Their focus identifies liberals, Democrats, and other critics of Trump as part of this so-called “enemy.”

‘The Gates of Hell’

In numerous town hall meetings throughout the year, including those at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, Flynn and Raiklin have urged Americans to do whatever is necessary to secure Trump’s reelection and enforce revenge that could involve detention, tribunals, and potentially worse measures.

During the far-right Rod of Iron Freedom Festival on October 11 in Greeley, Pennsylvania, one participant asked Flynn if, in the event of a Trump victory, he would be reinstated and lead a military tribunal to “not only drain the swamp but imprison the swamp and, on some occasions, execute the swamp?”

This query was met with enthusiastic cheers from the audience at the event, which is organized by a group the Southern Poverty Law Center labels as an “anti-government Christian gun cult,” led by the son of the late Unification Church founder Rev. Sun Myung Moon.

“I think many people share your views, and that’s your right and our privilege,” Flynn responded to the crowd.

“These individuals are already scheming negatively,” he warned of Trump’s opponents, adding, “We must win first. If we win, then everything will be unleashed. Believe me, my version of hell will be unleashed.”

Jeffrey Breinholt, a law professor at George Washington University and former counterterrorism expert at the Justice Department, indicated that the comments and organizing efforts of Flynn and Raiklin might breach federal laws regarding illegal threats, even when considering the high threshold of protections under the First Amendment.

Breinholt, a former DOJ employee who retired earlier this year, expressed that with the right political motivation, a federal law could be used against certain individuals. He emphasized the distinction between actions protected by the First Amendment and those that cross into harassment.

During a recent campaign event in North Carolina, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who is also Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, criticized Flynn’s statements as “outlandish” and referred to them using a vulgar term.

Walz cautioned that if Donald Trump wins, Flynn could potentially resume his role as national security advisor, reiterating Flynn’s alarming comments almost word-for-word.

“This is the individual Donald Trump intends to trust with our national security,” Walz remarked.

Flynn did not provide a response when reached out to multiple times, nor did the Trump campaign comment on the matter.

Trump’s self-styled ‘Secretary of Retribution’

Raiklin often sports t-shirts emblazoned with “Secretary of Retribution” and “The Deep State Marauder” at various public events.

He is a regular fixture on extreme right-wing cable news and radio shows, where he promotes a target list he claims includes politicians, law enforcement, media personnel, and others he considers adversaries.

Raiklin labels these individuals as “enemies of our constitutional order,” asserting they will face consequences if Trump is victorious on November 5.

“I’m coming for all of them. What does that mean?” Raiklin told a reporter in a video posted on X last May.

“It signifies delivering the most significant legal, moral, and ethical repercussions, which could include the ultimate punishment for treason,” he declared. “I guarantee they will face these consequences.”

The Justice Department notes that treason can carry severe penalties, including the death penalty.

Raiklin has advocated for “livestream swatting raids” on everyone on his list, referencing the alarming practice of falsely alerting authorities to create a police response at a victim’s home for a non-existent emergency.

He claims to have a network of 80,000 recruits ready to be deputized by “constitutional sheriffs” who see themselves as above the law, to pursue those listed as targets.

“The people I mention are enemies of our constitutional order,” Raiklin stated. “We are coming for them, fully.”

Recently, Raiklin threatened a reporter from YSL News when they attempted to contact him for this story.

“Please investigate him thoroughly. Maximum measures. Look into his family, friends, neighbors, and anyone connected to him to decide on my response,” Raiklin remarked to his 220,000 followers on X.

Threats Against Fauci

In June, Raiklin boasted about threatening Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who is particularly disliked by anti-vaccine activists, during a congressional hearing focused on the response to the Covid pandemic.

On an episode of his online show, “The Raiklin Report,” he recounted how he positioned himself behind Fauci at the hearing to “inform Dr. Fauci” about the “severe consequences” he believed Fauci deserved for his pandemic response.

Raiklin remarked, “Luckily for Fauci, I wasn’t close enough to execute an infamous physical act, likened to Mike Tyson’s attack on Evander Holyfield,” referencing the notorious boxing match incident from 1997.

Photos captured during the hearing show Raiklin sitting just a few rows behind the 83-year-old Fauci, who has publicly stated he requires around-the-clock security.

Clapper, who is well-acquainted with Flynn from their shared military and intelligence backgrounds, expressed confusion over Flynn’s current actions, saying he has become a different, angrier individual since retirement.

“I can’t explain it. He just appears to be an angry person now,” Clapper remarked. “He’s not the same individual I once knew.”

‘Someone Quite Special’

These days, Flynn and Raiklin frequently collaborate at events promoting Flynn’s autobiographical documentary, “Flynn,” where Raiklin plays a prominent role. The film discusses the “harsh political persecution” Flynn claims to have faced while “revealing corruption during his time as National Security Advisor to President Trump.”

Flynn experienced a remarkable rise in his military career but was dismissed as the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency by President Barack Obama in 2014. He later faced investigations by the FBI and Special Counsel Robert Mueller for substantial payments he received as a lobbyist, including work for Turkey, during a phase when he was also associated with Trump’s campaign and administration, according to comments made by Mueller and other prosecutors.

Following Trump’s election victory in November 2016, Flynn, as a private citizen, engaged in clandestine, back-channel communications with Russia’s ambassador to the U.S. Mueller’s final report claimed these actions compromised Obama’s foreign policies, which included sanctions placed on Moscow for interference in the 2016 election that helped Trump defeat Hillary Clinton.

Despite being under FBI investigation, Trump appointed Flynn as national security adviser at the White House. However, just three weeks later, Flynn was compelled to resign due to false statements he made to then-Vice President Mike Pence regarding his interactions with Russia’s ambassador.

According to YSL News in 2017, Trump urged then-FBI Director James Comey to “let this go” concerning Flynn’s investigation. Ultimately, Flynn admitted guilt to deceiving federal officials. “You could say you betrayed your country,” U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan remarked.

Flynn later assisted Trump in efforts to challenge his loss in the 2020 election against President Joe Biden, as revealed by the Congressional committee probing the Capitol riot. This was with support from Raiklin, who encouraged people via Twitter to bring “walkie talkies, medical supplies” to the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

By this time, Trump had already fully pardoned Flynn.

Trump stated his intention to reintroduce Flynn in his administration if he wins in November.

“We’re bringing you back,” he told Flynn in May. “We appreciate you, general. I always knew from the beginning − you are truly someone extraordinary.”

Dana Nessel, the attorney general of Michigan, expressed concern after obtaining a copy of Raiklin’s enemies list, which included state governor Gretchen Whitmer — a target in a 2020 militia kidnapping scheme — along with Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.

“I expected Donald Trump to denounce that list,” Nessel commented, “yet he never did. It’s a worrying time.”