Elsa Chang

Five sitting Democratic lawmakers said that federal prosecutors recently contacted them for questioning.

Last year, they had all made a statement on video urging members of the military to refuse illegal orders.

One of those lawmakers was Michigan Senator Alyssa Slotkin.

I think it's meant to get you to shut up.

Senator Slotkin spoke to my colleague, Juana Summers, on Thursday.

She said the U.S.

attorneys did not say if they were investigating a crime.

Consider this.

This week, the Justice Department made it clear that it is targeting Trump's perceived enemies with threats of federal prosecution.

After the break, a closer look at the most recent escalation.

From NPR, I'm Elsa Chang.

🎵 🎵

It's Consider This from NPR.

The Department of Justice is once again at the center of the news with investigations of federal lawmakers and the chairman of the Federal Reserve and resignations by career prosecutors in Minnesota.

So we have asked NPR senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro and NPR justice correspondent Kerry Johnson to talk about what's been happening over the last week.

Hello to both of you.

Hey there.

Hi there.

Carrie, let's start with you.

It feels like we have been seeing like an escalation for the Justice Department and the Trump administration this week, like both when it comes to the tactics that this administration uses and their willingness to push the boundaries of the law.