Devlin Barrett — The Department of Revenge: How Trump Took Control of American Justice — at Conn Ave

Acclaimed three-time Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter Devlin Barrett comes to Politics and Prose to discuss his explosive new book, *The Department of Revenge: How Trump Took Control of American Justice*. In this shocking exposé, Barrett reveals how Donald Trump’s second-term administration systematically dismantled the Justice Department and retooled it as a weapon for political vengeance—targeting the president’s enemies, shutting down election security programs, and hiring lawyers specifically to go after figures such as James Comey, Jerome Powell, Chuck Schumer, and the mayor of Newark. The event offers a deep dive into the mechanisms behind this unprecedented abuse of the justice system and a road map for restoring its integrity. Barrett, who covers the Justice Department and FBI for *The New York Times* and has previously worked at *The Washington Post*, *The Wall Street Journal*, and the Associated Press, brings more than twenty‑five years of federal law‑enforcement reporting expertise to this conversation.

When: Wednesday, July 8, 2026, at 7:00 p.m.

Venue: Politics and Prose at 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008. The event takes place in the store’s Conn Ave location.

Tickets: This event is free and open to the public. Seating is first come, first served.

Lineup: Devlin Barrett, author and *New York Times* reporter. He has been part of three Pulitzer Prize–winning reporting teams and was a co‑finalist for Pulitzers in International Reporting and Feature Writing. He is also the author of *October Surprise: How the FBI Tried to Save Itself and Crashed an Election*.

Run time: The event is a single evening talk and book signing; exact duration is not specified but typically runs 60–90 minutes.

Ages: All ages are welcome.

Accessibility: To request accommodations or inquire about accessibility, please email events@politics-prose.com ideally one week before the event date. The venue will make an effort to accommodate all requests up until the time of the event.

Book: *The Department of Revenge: How Trump Took Control of American Justice* (ISBN 9781668065129, hardcover, published June 9, 2026) is available for purchase at Politics and Prose for $31.00. Copies will be on hand at the event, and the author will sign books.

Note: The event itself is free; attendees may purchase the book separately. Seating is not reserved and is subject to availability.