If President Trump’s actions were intended to drive a law-and-order wedge between Democratic big-city leaders and their constituents, it has also exposed a division in his own coalition.

© Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times

The former special counsel, who led the Russia investigation during President Trump’s first term, has had difficulty speaking in recent months. A congressional committee dropped a request for Mr. Mueller to testify this week.

© Anna Moneymaker/The New York Times

If the F.B.I. is seen as a tool of retribution, it will come at the expense of its effectiveness in the long run.

The recent F.B.I. search of John Bolton’s home makes clear that President Trump is perverting the justice system to intimidate his critics.