Fig.: an attempt to blame, harass and punish people who hold unpopular views and opinions

The US President, impeached for collusion with Russia, kept saying that he was innocent and it was just a witch hunt

Il Presidente americano accusato di collusione con la Russia, ha sempre sostenuto che era innocente e che si trattava di una pura e semplice caccia alle streghe

Trump has said that the raid was part of a political witch hunt and suggested that agents may have planted material… (Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2022)

Trump ha affermato che la perquisizione era la solita caccia alle streghe politica, suggerendo che possono essere stati gli agenti stessi ad aver piazzato i reperti… (Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 18 Agosto 2022)

Historically, the term refers to real witch hunts that occurred across Europe and later in America from the late 15th century to the mid-18th century. The expression took on a figurative, idiomatic meaning in the early 20th century, primarily in reference to political ideas, but its popularity soared in the 1950s when the movement led by senator J. MacCarthy against American Communists, was often called a witch-hunt.