Ex-Trump official so terrified of retribution she even fears her doctors

Donald Trump's political enemies are preparing themselves for the possibility of retribution now that he's returned to office.

Former president Joe Biden issued preemptive pardons shortly before leaving the White House last week to some high-profile Trump critics – and some members of his own family – to protect them from potential prosecution, but many lower-level officials and other lesser-known individuals who've been threatened or harassed by the new president and his allies are preparing themselves for the worst, reported the Washington Post.

“We’re ready for anything,” said Michigan secretary of state Jocelyn Benson, who launched a Democratic bid for governor last week. “No amount of bullying or harassment or threats or intimidation is going to change the truth of the 2020 election.”

Benson said she has kept a go bag at the ready since armed protesters showed up at her home after the 2020 election as she sat down to watch “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” with her 4-year-old son.

She added she's been preparing for harassment from law enforcement since Trump won re-election.

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“Part of it is thinking through how, as a mom, I would prepare my kid for FBI agents showing up at our door,” Benson said.

Olivia Troye, a former Trump administration official who became a vocal critic, said she has locked down every aspect of her life since the November election, even vetting doctors and dog walkers for any sign of political vendettas, and she said former White House colleagues have expressed concern for her safety.

“It’s about the chilling effects,” Troye said. “They do want to make an example in hopes that people will get scared.”

One former public official who came under attack after the 2020 election has prepared loved ones in recent weeks for possible investigation, contacted attorneys and obtained another weapon for self-defense.

“I hope I’m overprepared and nothing happens,” the former official told the Post. “The truth is, none of this is fantastical. None of this is people making up things that might happen. These are words that have come directly out of the incoming president’s mouth.”