This is an adapted excerpt from the May 19 episode of “The Beat with Ari Melber.”

The Trump administration has launched an investigation into former FBI Director James Comey over an image he shared on social media that showed seashells spelling out the phrase “8647” on a beach. (To “86” something is slang for getting rid of it and “47” appears to be a reference to Donald Trump, the 47th U.S. president.) On Monday, Comey sat down with MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace for his first interview since that controversy over the now-deleted post broke out.

“It’s not my first rodeo,” Comey said, likely referring to past conflicts he’s had with Trump. “I would hate something like this … to happen to someone who doesn’t have my experience.”

“One of the real problems we have in this country right now is the use of the president’s power [to take aim] at individuals who don’t have my background or experience,” he added.

Comey is exactly right. One of the things we’ve seen this administration do is start with the powerful so it can gain the capitulation of everybody else.

That’s why the administration started with Columbia University and Harvard University. That’s why it went after the big law firms first. If it can make powerful institutions and individuals fall in line, it can inspire fear in the less powerful.

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The administration is weaponizing the rule of law and using its power to make people afraid to simply participate in our country, to speak out, to write an opinion piece or to protest. It’s affecting not just the big names, not just the folks who have public profiles, but it’s also affecting people who are doing work at the local level. That culture of fear is extremely dangerous for everyone.

During his interview with Wallace, Comey said the country’s “saving grace” in this moment will be our judicial system: “[The] independent judiciary is alive and well and gives me great comfort.” But it’s important to remember, judges, including Trump-appointed judges, have been attacked by this administration.

So the only true guardrail that America has left is we, the people. We have to show Trump and his administration we won’t be silent, even when they’re trying to make us fearful.

Comey is exactly right. One of the things we’ve seen this administration do is start with the powerful so it can gain the capitulation of everybody else.