What Is Arctic Frost?
Operation Arctic Frost was a sweeping FBI investigation launched in April 2022 under President Joe Biden’s Justice Department. The operation was purportedly designed to probe alleged efforts by allies of President Donald Trump to overturn the 2020 election. Documents later revealed that Arctic Frost went far beyond that scope. It targeted over 160 Republican lawmakers, aides, and conservative figures—an unprecedented sweep of political surveillance that included phone metadata, bank records, and even secret recordings.
Among those caught in the probe were senior Trump officials such as Dan Scavino, Peter Navarro, Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani, and Steve Bannon, along with 92 conservative groups, including Turning Point USA, which was co-founded by Charlie Kirk. The authorization came from then-Attorney General Merrick Garland, with sign-offs from Deputy AG Lisa Monaco and former FBI Director Christopher Wray. The investigation was later handed to special counsel Jack Smith when he took over in November 2022.
Trump Strikes Back
President Trump, now leading his 2024 campaign, responded with fury this week after the release of nearly 200 pages of newly declassified Arctic Frost documents. In a post on Truth Social, Trump denounced those behind the operation as “thugs” and demanded they be “investigated and put in prison.”
“These thugs should all be investigated and put in prison. A disgrace to humanity,” Trump wrote. “Deranged Jack Smith is a criminal!”
The president’s comments came as House Republicans, led by Rep. Jim Jordan, released explosive findings showing that Arctic Frost was vastly larger and more politically driven than originally believed. The operation, Trump and his allies argue, was not a legitimate investigation but a politically motivated attempt to undermine his presidency and derail his return to power.
A Massive Political Target List
The House Judiciary Committee’s report detailed that 45 key Trump associates were potentially under FBI investigation, with another 111 individuals also flagged for scrutiny. The operation reportedly authorized agents from field offices across the country to conduct over 40 interviews in June 2022 alone and request nearly $17,000 in travel expenses. Whistleblower disclosures suggest that 197 subpoenas were issued, including for phone and electronic data of multiple Republican senators and representatives.
Even worse, some FBI units reportedly tracked call data of sitting U.S. senators, including Lindsey Graham, Josh Hawley, Ron Johnson, and Marsha Blackburn. One agent’s internal email accused conservative figures such as Ed Corrigan of “wanting to build infrastructure to train people for civil war.” Critics say such rhetoric underscores the bias and hysteria that permeated the Biden-era FBI.
Jim Jordan Demands Accountability
Rep. Jim Jordan, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, has made Arctic Frost a centerpiece in his investigation into the weaponization of the Justice Department. Jordan told Newsmax that Jack Smith “must answer serious questions about spying on members of Congress and associates of President Trump.”
“We’ve already deposed two of Smith’s deputies,” Jordan said. “They took the Fifth 71 and 73 times. We need Jack Smith to answer: was this a political operation to undermine and hurt President Trump?”
Jordan has subpoenaed Smith for a deposition, though Smith insists on a public hearing, claiming that reports of political targeting are “mischaracterizations.” But Jordan argues the facts speak for themselves: Smith oversaw the expansion of Arctic Frost and used its intelligence to pursue criminal charges against Trump—charges later dismissed after the Supreme Court reaffirmed presidential immunity for official acts.
A Historic Abuse of Power
Republicans across Congress are calling Arctic Frost one of the most serious examples of political weaponization in modern American history. Sen. Ron Johnson said, “This ought to be a chilling message to every American who believes in equal justice under the law.”
The Arctic Frost revelations have shaken public trust in the Justice Department and FBI. What began as a narrow probe into 2020 election challenges morphed into a dragnet that swept up hundreds of political opponents. With Trump labeling Jack Smith a “criminal” and Jim Jordan demanding answers, the scandal has become a rallying point for those who see Arctic Frost as a defining example of how far the government was willing to go to silence dissent.
As the investigation into the investigators deepens, one thing is clear: Arctic Frost will be remembered as one of the darkest chapters in the modern history of the U.S. Justice Department—and those responsible may soon find themselves under the very scrutiny they once wielded against others.
NP Editor: This was so blatant and obvious that the American people should have seen it immediately. That is the scary part.
