George Conway Explains It All (To Sarah Longwell) S2 Ep124: Conway DESTROYS Trump’s Pathetic “RICO for Protests”
Sep 19, 2025
George Conway, a Constitutional lawyer known for his sharp critiques of the Trump administration, joins the conversation to dismantle the administration's legal claims. He discusses why the RICO statutes don't apply to protest actions and critiques Trump's $15 billion lawsuit against the New York Times as lacking merit. Conway also delves into the implications of FCC pressures on media, the Supreme Court's decisions on ICE profiling, and the ongoing challenges to Federal Reserve independence. Buckle up for an insightful legal ride!
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RICO Requires Continuous Serious Crime
- RICO targets sustained patterns of serious predicate crimes, not isolated peaceful protests.
- Applying RICO to a few people shouting in a restaurant is legally absurd and unlikely to withstand scrutiny.
Mob-Like Government Coercion Is A First Amendment Issue
- Government pressure to punish speech can feel 'mob-like' even if not criminal under RICO.
- Such coercion is a First Amendment problem and morally wrong, though not always a criminal predicate.
Distinguish Extortion From Constitutional Violations
- Extortion is criminal but First Amendment violations by regulators are usually civil or constitutional issues.
- Treating government coercion as mob-like highlights moral wrongs even when criminal statutes don't apply.
