ICYMI: The 19th Highlights How Democratic AGs Are Ready to Tackle Trump 2.0
January 30, 2025
Former Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum talks about her legacy as an AG during Trump 1.0 and what Trump 2.0 could look like
Washington, DC – With just over a week into the new administration, Democratic Attorneys General have been hard at work pushing back against Trump’s unconstitutional executive orders and policies – including ending birthright citizenship and putting a freeze on federal funding programs. But Democratic AGs have been here before – when Trump first took office in 2017 – and they have no plans to slow their efforts to challenge him in court should he continue down this unlawful path.
In an article by The 19th, former Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum talked about her time as Oregon’s AG during the first Trump administration and reflected on what’s to come for her fellow Dem AGs. “‘We saw this coming, even though we hoped it wouldn’t,’” AG Rosenblum said. “‘We started preparing as the Democratic AGs almost two years ago for the potential eventuality…I believe that there’s no group better prepared to push back where appropriate.’”
Key highlights:
- “Rosenblum entered office as Oregon’s first woman attorney general in 2012 and served during three presidential administrations before stepping away in December 2024. In her position, she oversaw an office of more than 350 lawyers who challenged the first Trump administration hundreds of times on things from executive orders to federal rule changes.”
- “‘My office has been preparing for a potential second Trump Administration, and I am ready to do everything in my power to ensure our state and nation do not go backwards,’ she [New York Attorney General Letitia James] wrote. ‘During his first term, we stood up for the rule of law and defended against abuses of power and federal efforts to harm New Yorkers.’”
- “She was part of a group of Democratic attorneys general who sued the administration over its travel ban on several majority-Muslim countries and its attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that protects certain undocumented people brought to the United States as children.”
- “Rosenblum explained that before suing, a state attorney general’s office staff must evaluate whether a specific policy will be harmful to people in her state, assemble a legal team that consults with other state attorney general offices to decide what cases to sign onto and divide responsibilities as well as determine which courts would be the most appropriate to file a legal complaint.”
- “To legal advocates, both state attorneys general and beyond, Rosenblum advised that it will be important to stay resilient, to partner up where appropriate, and to not let internal conflict get in the way of the larger mission of the work.”
- “‘I would not be surprised to see more actions being brought by attorneys general within the next few days, certainly weeks. And again, it’s a work in progress. It’s very fluid,’ she said. ‘But the bottom line is, I know that the Democratic attorneys general are ready.’”
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