WASHINGTON, DC – Democratic attorneys general continue to hold the line against the Trump administration’s flagrant executive overreach. Having filed nearly 40 lawsuits against the administration to defend Americans’ rights and freedoms and the Constitution, Democratic AGs have a proven track record of being the most powerful group holding the administration accountable.

NOTUS’ Oriana González and Anna Kramer wrote about the elevated role Democratic AGs play in combatting the unlawfulness of the Trump administration after the Supreme Court handed down its decision on the issue of nationwide injunctions in the birthright citizenship suits.

• “Democratic state attorneys general were already playing a central role in the legal battle against President Donald Trump’s agenda. The Supreme Court has now made it so that they’re effectively the only ones who can fight.”

• “Democratic attorneys general, who long saw themselves as the last line of defense between the people and Trump, are now Democrats’ main way to secure a nationwide injunction.”

• “Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a former state attorney general, told NOTUS that the court’s decision ‘emboldens and empowers [Trump] to defy the rule of law and simply act according to his own whims and preferences…state attorneys general are in a better position to challenge unlawful executive orders…’”
• Blumenthal continued, “‘The importance of the state attorneys general in stopping unconstitutional actions by the president is tremendously heightened by this president’s tendency to break the law…’”

• “‘I’m really proud to be part of this [attorney general] — and of course, Democratic [attorney general] — coalition that is doing the work every single day to protect our rights, and most importantly, the rule of law,’ Massachusetts state Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell said in a press conference Friday.”

• “The red state attorneys general are not fighting for the rights of their people,” Bonta said. “I honestly have thought that during the course of our lawsuits, they have been secretly very happy that we’re suing because they have been coasting, drafting behind our work and benefiting from it without having to do the work.”

• “‘States that do not participate in challenging Trump’s orders are ‘going to be in the hot seat now,’ New Jersey state Attorney General Matt Platkin said. ‘In effect, every attorney general is now more on the hook than ever for the impacts of Trump’s policies.’”

Also recently, in an episode of Lisa Rubin’s “Can They Do That?”, Illinois AG Kwame Raoul, New Jersey AG Matthew Platkin, and Minnesota AG Keith Ellison gave insight into the lawsuits the AGs have filed together and why Democratic AGs are a key force in combating the Trump administration.

Key highlights from Can They Do That? with Lisa Rubin:

• “The states and the state governments are most connected to the citizens of the state, and so we touch the citizens on everyday issues so having that autonomy to govern and not be preempted by the federal government or commandeered by the federal government is important for us to respond to the day to day needs of our constituents,” AG Raoul said.

• “I think it’s fair to say your rights and privileges as an American citizen vary based on what state you live in,” AG Platkin said. “So, it falls on states like ours to stand up and protect you, and that’s what we are collectively doing.”

• When discussing the ruling in the nationwide injunction case in birthright citizenship, AG Platkin said “…your child’s citizenship could be determined based on that hospital choice because of who’s your attorney general at the given state where you give birth.”

• “So why does a nationwide injunction matter? think it matters if you live in states where you have people not standing up for your rights,” AG Platkin said. “Those rights are just as important, and if they’re enshrined in the 14th amendment of the United States constitution, they’re supposed to apply in all 50 states.

• “[The birthright citizenship case] highlights just a blatant disregard for the Constitution,” AG Raoul said. “The language is so clear in the 14^th Amendment that the president would start with disregarding an amendment with such clear language.”
• “In many ways, lawyers…when they say we’re officers of the court, we’re also agents of the rule of law,” AG Ellison said.
• “We’re going to keep on suing, but I also think it’s important for us to continue to communicate with the public and give people hope that we can protect and defend and extend our democracy,” AG Ellison said. “At the end of the day, it’s about people’s power… we will continue to fight and make sure that their voice is heard.”
• “We are winning in court,” AG Raoul said. “We’re winning motions to compel, so we are winning.”

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