THE DAILY BLAST with Greg Sargent Jamie Raskin’s Harsh New Takedown of Trump Exposes MAGA’s Darkest Aim
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Oct 24, 2025 
Leah Litman, a law professor at the University of Michigan and author of *Lawless*, joins the discussion on Trump's outrageous $230 million demand from the DOJ. She breaks down the legal ramifications of Jamie Raskin's scathing letter, which calls Trump's actions theft and outlines the lack of merit in his claims. They dive into how Trump's maneuver reflects broader MAGA strategies, signaling a concerning erosion of democratic norms. Litman critiques the harmful implications of granting such a demand and the ongoing battle over public and private interests.
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President Seeking $230M From DOJ
- Trump filed demand letters seeking $230 million from DOJ while president, trying to bypass the normal FTCA process.
- Leah Litman and Greg Sargent call this a naked effort to use the presidency to extract taxpayer money.
FTCA Process And Legal Hurdles
- The Federal Tort Claims Act requires claim submission before suing the government and has many procedural barriers.
- Litman stresses suing the federal government is difficult and Trump is trying to sidestep that process.
Hand In The Treasury
- Trump is attempting to order DOJ to pay him directly as president, which Litman calls obscene and conceptually incoherent.
- They emphasize DOJ paying would be taxpayer money, making the demand grotesque.
