Convicted felon Donald Trump declares war on the American Bar Association
One of Donald Trump’s newest wars is on the American Bar Association (ABA), and it’s more than meets the eye. On one level, it’s about the man-child’s obsessive need to clap back at critics. However, it’s also yet another sign that Trump, enlisting the help of the Republican Party, is intent on pursuing his despotic dream of unchecked executive power.
Several Republican senators are now pushing to eliminate the ABA’s role in judicial nominations, claiming the organization is “biased.” For decades, the ABA has assessed judicial nominees based on competence, integrity, and temperament, aimed at achieving a fair and independent judiciary. The ABA has rated some past Trump nominees as “not qualified,” but now the GOP is calling for an end to independent judicial vetting altogether.
In a recent letter, signed by Republican Senators Eric Schmitt, Ted Cruz, Marsha Blackburn, Josh Hawley, Bernie Moreno and Mike Lee, the authors express their “disappointment” with recent statements from ABA President William R. Bay about the importance of the rule of law and the integrity of the U.S. legal profession. Employing weird, self-serving logic, the letter refers to how Bay stated that “Americans expect better,” then concludes that “Americans expect—and want—the Trump administration,” implying that simply because a candidate wins the presidency, then anything goes.
In his last statement, Bay sounded the alarm about the government’s new attacks. “The courts are a co-equal branch of our government, and they must be treated that way,” he wrote, urging the pursuit of appeals instead of intimidation campaigns. “That is the appropriate way to disagree with a decision of a court,” he pointed out. Beyond judges, Bay warned that the intimidation has now expanded to include the legal profession, with the government deciding to punish Perkins Coie, a prominent law firm, simply because it represents a party that the administration does not like. “Lawyers must be free to represent clients and perform their ethical duty without fear of retribution,” he wrote.
Following Trump’s unusual executive order last week aimed specifically at Perkins Coie, for “dishonest and dangerous activity,” Perkins Coie has filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, with its attorneys calling the order “an affront to the Constitution and our adversarial system of justice,” according to a report from NPR. According to the filing, Trump’s bullying is unconstitutional and “presents a threat to Perkins Coie’s ability to represent the interests of its clients and its ability to operate as a business.”
The Trump administration’s attacks on the ABA and the legal profession are part of a larger campaign to remove obstacles to full control with zero accountability. With the help of top Republicans, Trump is trying to reshape the judiciary and create a legal system that lets him get away with whatever he wishes. As long as Trump holds office, he will continue to try to pull the United States closer to his ultimate goal: authoritarian rule.
Ron Leshnower is a lawyer and the author of several books, including President Trump’s Month