1A 'If You Can Keep It': Trump And Big Law Firms
Mar 31, 2025
In this engaging discussion, senior legal affairs reporter Josh Gerstein and Deborah Pearlstein, Director of the Princeton University Program in Law and Public Policy, delve into Trump's aggressive tactics against major law firms. They unpack the motivations behind his confrontations and the chilling effect these actions have on legal representation. The conversation also touches on the constitutionality of executive orders and explores the ethical dilemmas lawyers face amid political pressures. Their insights illuminate the precarious balance between law, ethics, and democracy.
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Trump Targets Elias
- President Trump's memo accuses lawyer Mark Elias of misconduct related to a 2016 dossier.
- Elias, who represented the Hillary Clinton campaign and DNC, was involved with the dossier containing unverified allegations against Trump.
Trump's Authoritarian Tendencies
- Mark Elias argues Trump targets institutions that oppose him, like the media, billionaires, and now the legal community.
- He claims Trump's actions are an attempt to suppress dissent and impose his vision on America.
Unprecedented Attacks
- Deborah Pearlstein notes there's no U.S. precedent for the simultaneous attacks on individuals and government institutions.
- It's more akin to democratic backsliding seen in other countries, though the U.S. attacks reject law altogether, unlike, say, Hungary.