Tune in to @Lawrence at 10pm EST. @tribelaw and Bush 41 appointee and former Acting AG Stuart Gerson will discuss why they’re joining with us from left and right to represent El Paso County and @BNHR to challenge Trump’s unlawful “emergency” declaration. protectdemocracy.org/national-emerg…
"Our lawsuit is focused on El Paso." - @tribelaw explaining why our lawsuit is different. #TheLastWord
"This effects the county imminently and directly." - Stuart Gerson explaining why El Paso County is an excellent plaintiff. #TheLastWord
"We don't think this is a situation where liberal has to face off against conservative...the values of the constitution...those values should be values that count every bit as much in the 5th Circuit." - @tribelaw#TheLastWord
"The Constitution, at this level, is not a partisan document." - @tribelaw#TheLastWord
"We're not unhappy in the 5th Circuit. Sure, there are plenty of conservative judges that are sitting, but the position that we're arguing constitutionally is a fundamentally conservative one." - Stuart Gerson #TheLastWord
"This strikes at the heart of what the framers were intending to do, which is to prevent a concentration of power and a turn towards the tyranny that was rejected by the American Revolution." - Stuart Gerson #TheLastWord
"This is a fundamentally conservative position. It strikes at the heart of separation of powers. There has to be some limit on the power of the executive." - Stuart Gerson #TheLastWord
"An emergency is something that the branches don't have time to consult about. This hardly is the case. And the President's comment that you just quoted makes that very clear." - Stuart Gerson #TheLastWord
"He is simply trying to do what emperors and kings do. Not what a President of the United States should do. And I very much agree with Stuart Gerson that the framers would roll over in their graves if they saw this as the result of their handiwork." - @tribelaw#TheLastWord
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Today 19 retired 4-star officers & service secretaries urged #SCOTUS to reject Trump’s immunity claim, citing the disastrous impact presidential criminal immunity would wreak on the chain of command, civilian control of the military, & national security. protdem.org/NatSecAmicus4_…
The Constitution enshrines rule of law & civilian control of the military, “bedrock features of our democracy & are deeply rooted in our nation’s history,” and…[Trump’s] theory of presidential immunity from criminal prosecution is an assault on these foundational commitments.”
Retired General George Casey, one of the signatories had this to say:
Here are the six major threats that we can expect from an authoritarian president occupying the White House in 2025
(plus, threaded below for more ⬇️🧵)
1⃣ Pardons to license lawbreaking: As president Trump was a pioneer in pardon abuse and has promised to further abuse that power to reward violent actors and place himself above the law
Trump, the likely R nominee for POTUS, has promised to enact policies threatening core democratic institutions.
In a new report, our experts analyze whether & how those promises might override the checks designed to constrain POTUS abuses of power. authoritarianplaybook2025.org
The report, written by a cross-ideological team of experts, thoroughly compiles Trump’s stated plans and tackles the question: Is our system of checks & balances robust enough to constrain an autocrat in the White House?
It focuses on 6 threat areas 🧵⬇️
1⃣ Pardons to license lawbreaking:
During Trump’s 1st term, he used pardons to induce witnesses against him into silence. In a 2nd term, he's indicated to further abuse pardons to incite political violence, incentivize lawbreaking for his benefit, & place himself above the law.
BREAKING: The city of San Marcos and its police dept have agreed to settle our case alleging they turned a blind eye to the so-called “Trump Train” engaging in political violence against passengers on the Biden-Harris bus in lead-up to the 2020 election. protectdemocracy.org/work/san-marco…
In settling this case, the City on behalf of the police department has admitted to falling short of its policing standards and has agreed to institute mandatory training for all its officers and to compensate the victims they failed to protect.
🔗 ➡️ protdem.org/4054mJN
In filing this case, the victims claimed police violated the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871—a law that makes it illegal for law enforcement to negligently fail to take steps to prevent certain conspiracies to engage in election-related violence or intimidation. protectdemocracy.org/work/klan-act-…
“From what began as one woman’s fight, the excuses for silence have been lifted, and this illegal barrier between truth and the American people is forever removed. Democracy dies in fear and silence, but only if we let it. We refused, and we won.”
This decision is a significant win for our democracy by establishing a bright line for all future candidates who might attempt to silence staff and prevent critical information from reaching voters.
NEW: “For a Better Democracy: Proportional Representation” from @DemJournal assembles insights from over a dozen leading scholars, examining how a more proportional electoral system could address some of the most enduring issues undermining our democracy. democracyjournal.org/magazine/70/fo…
Our winner-take-all electoral system is “dangerously warping our politics,” write our own @g_tudor & @btremitiere. Proportional representation is “one way out.” democracyjournal.org/magazine/70/wh…
@g_tudor @btremitiere “The constitutional uncertainty that surrounds § 2 presents an opportunity to fundamentally rethink... American electoral structures of representation for a 21st century multiracial polity,” write @ProfGuyCharles of @Harvard_Law & @Prof_lfr of @IUMaurerLaw democracyjournal.org/magazine/70/wh…