Washington, DC – Over the last several days, Democratic Attorneys General across the country have been firing up crowds discussing their work to fight back against Donald Trump and Elon Musk. On Friday, New York AG Letitia James, New Jersey AG Matthew Platkin, Nevada AG Aaron Ford, Colorado AG Phil Weiser, and Connecticut AG William Tong joined Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network (NAN) Conference for a panel discussion on the unconstitutional actions the Trump administration has carried out since he took office.

During the panel, the Democratic AGs highlighted the months of legal work they prepared prior to Trump taking office, while also highlighting the importance of fighting back and holding certain leaders accountable for their inaction against the administration’s unlawful policies.

“I am going to use the law both as a sword and as a shield and challenge Donald Trump each and every time he issues an executive and illegal executive order,” AG James told the audience. “I am going to stand up to him, because he represents, to me, sincere, ignorant, and conscientious stupidity.”

• “…I want to live in a democratic republic committed to freedom and equality for all, and it is on the line,” AG Weiser said. “We cannot be complacent in this moment, in the face of a campaign that is about fear, intimidation, divisiveness, and hating.”
• “We put in work. We do a lot of work together. Democratic attorneys general stand up for the principle that we all should receive justice,” AG Ford said. “And the job in my office, if you were to ask any of them, they would say, ‘My job, our job, is justice. Period point blank.’”
• “And so at the end of the day, I will continue as attorney general as long as I’m attorney general to stand up for everybody’s rights. Everybody present in this country – note my words,” AG Ford said. “I didn’t say every citizen in this country. I didn’t say every legal permanent resident in this country. I didn’t say all persons. I said every person present in this country.”

• “Let us make no mistake. These attacks on diversity, equity, inclusion are an effort to roll back civil rights progress that we’ve been making, we cannot let it be successful,” AG Weiser said. “This is not law. This is intimidation.”

• “… Dr. [Martin Luther] King talked about that stone of hope, and it’s that stone of hope that gives me a fire in my belly, each and every morning,” AG James said. “It’s that stone of hope that allows me to wake up and to stand to Donald Trump and to say, ‘Donald Trump, I’m not afraid of you.’”
• “…those who stand for principle right now, it will be remembered in the future who stood for principle,” AG Weiser added. “It will be remembered who didn’t have the courage to stand up for what is right and what is good in this world.”
• “Look, this administration has shown more hostility to the men and women of the judiciary and threatened them than any administration in modern American history,” AG Platkin said. “And the judges have shown across the ideological spectrum, including judges, by the way, appointed by President Donald Trump, have shown courage in standing up for your rights…we will go back to court and hold them accountable if they violate our orders.”

• “…if your AG isn’t suing with us, you don’t get the protection of the win from this lawsuit […],” AG Ford explained. “And it’s important that you go talk to your folks and explain the reason why you’re gonna hold them accountable at the next election cycle.”

• “I’m ready to get on the streets right now after hearing Tish, right? And that’s what we got to do,” AG Tong said. “That’s what we got to do, not just tomorrow, but every day. People ask me, ‘What can we do?’ You can get in the streets. And you can tell, we got to tell our stories.”
• “Everyone here can use your voice. They want you to be silent. They want you to be afraid. We can’t. We can’t stop showing up. Joining arms with others who show up and call out those who don’t show up.” AG Weiser.
• “I often say, our democracy is a team sport. It is not a spectator sport,” AG Weiser said. “Get off your phones. Show up. Make sure people vote, use your voice.”
• “And lastly, if anyone asks you about these executive orders and they ask why all of the Democratic attorneys general are standing up, it’s because the executive orders are 1) illegal 2) arbitrary 3) capricious 4), they exceed their authority, and 5), it’s important to let them know that Congress has the power of the purse,” AG James said. “And that the president of this United States cannot, with a stroke of a pen, or in his case, a stupid Sharpie, he cannot violate the law in these United States.” 
• “So, yes, we have a lot to fear, but we have nothing to be afraid of,” AG Tong said. “Get out there and fight.”

 And this past weekend, several Democratic AGs from California to Vermont, also spoke at “Hands Off!” rallies, a national movement that denounces the unconstitutional overreach by the Trump administration and Elon Musk.

“When we stand together, when we stand on our principles, we will always prevail. We cannot be silenced” AG Wesier told the crowd in Denver. “And just like fear is contagious, so is hope. So is courage. And I will continue to believe in the United States of America that brought my ancestors here.”

“This president is flooding the zone, but we are flooding it back!” AG Tong said in Greenwich, CT. “We are in the fight of our lives. We are in the fight for our lives.”

“Trump and his lawless, corrupt, and chaotic administration can ignore court orders, but they can’t ignore all of us,” Michigan AG Dana Nessel said at the Lansing rally. “But we need all of you to continue to make your voices heard. And to say we are not okay with losing our healthcare. We are not okay with losing our Social Security. We are not okay with losing our public education system. We are not okay with losing our civil liberties. And we will not forfeit our right to vote.”

AG Nessel concluded, “This is our state, our country, your democracy, and we will not relinquish it to a wannabe dictator tyrant king.”

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