Trump has moved quickly to exact 'retribution.' More revenge could come: ANALYSIS

President Donald Trump promised "I am your retribution" to his supporters in his 2024 campaign.

His first week in the White House saw him turn that threat real.

Within hours of taking the oath of office, Trump stripped security clearances from 51 former intelligence officials who had signed onto a letter describing the public release of emails from Hunter Biden's laptop as potentially part of a Russian information operation.

He's removed security details for John Bolton and Mike Pompeo, despite threats against their lives from Iran because of their work in the first Trump administration, as well as for Dr. Anthony Fauci, who faced threats over the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic. When asked about removing the details, Trump told reporters "you cant have a security detail for the rest of your life" if you work in government and that he wouldn't feel responsible should anything happen to those individuals.

Retired Gen. Mark Milley has also been informed his security detail is being pulled and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is moving to have him demoted.

Meanwhile, a purge of officials is also taking place across the government.

More than a dozen people who were part of former special counsel Jack Smith's prosecution were fired. Seventeen inspectors general at multiple federal agencies were terminated, with the administration flouting the 30 days advanced notice required by law.

The White House defended the moves and said they'd do so in court if lawsuits are brought as is expected.

Press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked on ABC's "Good Morning America" Wednesday if revoking Milley's detail and other moves against the president's critics should be considered retaliatory.

"I would reject that," Leavitt responded. "I think that President Trump has the right to make these decisions. And again, he doesn't think that taxpayers should be funding security for bureaucrats and for others who have served in our government for the rest of their lives."

But some experts say the actions send a message that officials are expected to fall in line with the new administration.

"It's a shot across the bow," said Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow of governance studies at the Brookings Institution. "It's intended to send to them that he's really serious about getting his agenda done."

More attempts at retribution could be in store if Trump's picks for attorney general and FBI director are confirmed. He's nominated Pam Bondi to lead the Justice Department and Kash Patel to lead the FBI, both loyalists.

Bondi in her confirmation hearing pledged to keep politics out of prosecutions, but raised eyebrows among critics when she notably did not directly answer questions about Trump's 2020 election loss and his desire to target political opponents.

Patel will face senators for his hearing on Thursday. He's said in the past that "thousands and thousands and thousands" of federal employees need to be fired for aiding the so-called "deep state." He's also threatened to go after journalists.

Post-Watergate, the Justice Department and its agencies enacted internal policies aimed to bolster independence that presidents of both parties abided by.

But Trump's taken a far more expansive view of executive authority, and could try to wield his influence directly over the DOJ and FBI.

Already his administration's removed some career DOJ officials, sparking concern within the department's National Security Division, ABC News previously reported. Others were reassigned to a newly-formed task force to prosecute immigration violations in so-called "sanctuary cities."

"The test will really be if President Trump asked the Justice Department to prosecute someone or investigate someone, will they do it?" said Bruce Green, a Fordham Law ethics expert who examined this issue during Trump's first term.

Backstops still remain if that were the case, experts noted: prosecutors could threaten revolt, courts could reject cases that lack proof of a crime or Congress could step in. But Trump is entering a second term with Republicans controlling the House and Senate, and a conservative majority on the Supreme Court that's agreed with him on some aspects of presidential power.

"It's a little early to know whether all of the guardrails are being obliterated," said Green. "But sadly, all signs point in that direction."

On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly singled out opponents he suggested be investigated or even jailed. They include former Rep. Liz Cheney and other members of the House Jan. 6 Committee as well as Biden and his family.

Former President Joe Biden, in his final hours as commander in chief, issued preemptive pardons for his family, House Jan. 6 committee members, Fauci and Milley. Trump, in his first post-inauguration interview, suggested it was a mistake for Biden not to pardon himself.

Biden's pardons, however, don't prevent Congress from launching inquiries into those individuals, experts said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson signaled last week he would look into the Biden pardons. House Republicans are also establishing a new select subcommittee that will probe the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and seek to undercut the findings of the bipartisan panel from when Democrats controlled the chamber.

"To us, it is disgusting. To us, it probably proves the point," Johnson said last week about the pardons for Biden's family members.

"Look, there's a lot of attention that's going to be paid to this," Johnson continued. "And I think that is appropriate. And we will be looking at it as well."

ABC News' Mary Bruce, Alexander Mallin, Luis Martinez and Michelle Stoddart contributed to this report.