Susan Rice, a long controversial figure who previously served as national security adviser and UN ambassador under under former President Barack Obama, suggested that Democrats will seek “revenge” against prominent Trump supporters and allies should they regain power.
During an appearance on the “Stay Tuned with Preet” podcast hosted by former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, Rice discussed what she described as an “accountability agenda” for entities supporting Trump’s policies. She framed her comments in the context of corporations, law firms, universities, media outlets, and others she believed had aligned with the current administration.
“A very prominent public figure, who has served at nearly the very highest levels, once told me … ‘Revenge is best served cold,’ and the older I get, the more I see the wisdom of that,” Rice said during the interview.
Without providing specifics, Rice suggested that Democrats would escalate their prosecutions of political enemies after pursuing similar strategies under former President Biden. “It’s not going to end well for them, for those that decided that they would act in their perceived very narrow self-interest, which I would underscore, is very short-term self-interest, and, you know, take a knee to Trump,” she went on to say.
“It’s not going to end well for them, for those that decided that they would act in their perceived very narrow self-interest, which I would underscore, is very short-term self-interest, and, you know, take a knee to Trump,” Rice added, further reiterating that her comments were based on conversations with prominent Democrats.
“They’re going to be held accountable by those who come in opposition to Trump and win at the ballot box. And I can tell you, Preet, as I talk to leaders in Washington, leaders in our party, leaders in the states, if these corporations think that the Democrats when they come back in power are going to, you know, play by the old rules and [say] ‘Never mind, we’ll forgive you for all the people you fired, all the policies and principles you violated, all the laws you’ve skirted,’ I think they’ve got another thing coming,” Rice went on.
“They’re going to be surprised. Democrats have had a bellyful, and we’re not going to play by, you know, the old set of rules. We’re not going to be suckers … there will be an accountability agenda.”
Susan Rice offers a taste of what’s coming should the left retake power — promises Democrats will punish corporations and other institutions who have “taken a knee to Trump.”
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) February 20, 2026
“It’s not going to end well for them."
“If these corporations think that the Democrats, when they come… pic.twitter.com/Hr4Lk5oica
In response to Rice’s comments, President Donald Trump called on Netflix to remove her from the company’s board. “How much is she being paid, and for what???” Trump posted on Truth Social, adding that she should be fired or the company would “pay the consequences.”
Rice has been involved in several controversies during her career. One notable issue was her role in the Obama administration’s response to the 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, which killed four Americans, including Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens.
As U.N. Ambassador, Rice appeared on Sunday news shows and initially attributed the attack to spontaneous protests sparked by an anti-Islamic video, which only had a few hundred views at the time of reporting. Later investigations revealed it was a planned terrorist attack, leading to criticism that her statements were intentionally misleading.
Rice also played a prominent role in the infamous Russian collusion hoax that was used as a pretext to investigate President Trump during his first term. As National Security Advisor, Rice requested the “unmasking” of U.S. persons incidentally captured in intelligence reports, including Trump transition team members like Michael Flynn.
Unmasking is a process where the identities of Americans in surveillance of foreign targets are revealed to cleared officials for national security purposes. Rice confirmed the spying on Trump’s campaign in a 2017 email after the Obama Administration previously denied that it happened.
