Glossary
Lawfare
Using legal processes, such as prosecutions or lawsuits, as a weapon against opponents; the term is applied by many sides to actions by their adversaries.
Also called: legal warfare, weaponization of the justice system
"Lawfare" is a word combining "law" and "warfare," used for the use of legal systems and institutions as a strategic weapon. It was popularized in military and security writing by Charles Dunlap, a retired Air Force general, in 2001, as a neutral description of how legal arguments could be used as a means of warfare, and it also describes the legal strategies of both state and nonstate actors.
In current American politics, the word is used mostly by supporters of Donald Trump and other conservatives to criticize criminal prosecutions, civil suits and investigations against him as politically motivated, and by others on the left to describe lawsuits by conservative groups or state attorneys general against policies and officials. Both sides argue the other abuses the legal system for partisan ends. Specific controversies include the multiple indictments and civil judgments against Trump, the investigations of his campaign in 2016, and prosecutions or investigations of political opponents since.
Supporters of the cases say that they apply ordinary law to people who broke it and that calling them "lawfare" is an attempt to evade accountability. Critics respond that selective or novel use of the law, or the timing of indictments, shows a political motive. Compare the claims about a deep state. See also grand jury.
Last reviewed November 8, 2026