Category Archives: authoritarian threats in US

My New One at MSNBC Opinion: “Trump’s executive order on elections is a blatant power grab; It seems especially dangerous to take power away from the states when there are many threats to our democracy.”

March 26, 2025, 2:51 pmauthoritarian threats in US, election administration, Election Assistance Commission, fraudulent fraud squad, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

I have written this piece for MSNBC Opinion. It begins: By design, presidents have no power over the conduct of federal elections. President Donald Trump’s recent executive order on election administration aims to flip that, trying to take power… Continue reading

“Trump Is Trying to Gain More Power Over Elections. Is His Effort Legal?”

March 26, 2025, 2:45 pmauthoritarian threats in US, election administration, Election Assistance CommissionRick Hasen

Nick Corasaniti for the NYT: President Trump pushed on Tuesday to hand the executive branch unprecedented influence over how federal elections are run, signing a far-reaching and legally dubious order to change U.S. voting rules. The executive order, which seeks… Continue reading

“Law firms refuse to represent Trump opponents in the wake of his attacks”

March 25, 2025, 7:40 amauthoritarian threats in USRick Hasen

WaPo: President Donald Trump’s crackdown on lawyers is having a chilling effect on his opponents’ ability to defend themselves or challenge his actions in court, according to people who say they are struggling to find legal representation as a result… Continue reading

“Law Firms Scramble to Avoid Being Trump’s Next Target”

March 24, 2025, 7:30 amauthoritarian threats in USRick Hasen

WSJ: The White House, on the heels of a successful pressure campaign against law firm Paul Weiss, is escalating its attacks on the legal industry and leaving some firms scrambling to stay out of the crosshairs. President Trump took… Continue reading

“How Trump Is Trying to Consolidate Power Over Courts, Congress and More”

March 20, 2025, 6:54 amauthoritarian threats in USRick Hasen

NYT: President Trump called for one federal judge seeking basic information about his deportation efforts to be impeached amid mounting concern about a constitutional showdown. Another judge found that Mr. Trump’s efforts to shut down a federal agency probably violated… Continue reading

“With Orders, Investigations and Innuendo, Trump and G.O.P. Aim to Cripple the Left”

March 19, 2025, 8:28 amauthoritarian threats in US, election law bizRick Hasen

NYT: Executive actions intended to cripple top Democratic law firms. Investigations of Democratic fund-raising and organizing platforms. Ominous suggestions that nonprofits aligned with Democrats or critical of President Trump should have their tax exemptions revoked. Mr. Trump and his allies… Continue reading

Must-Read Adam Liptak: “Defiance and Threats in Deportation Case Renew Fear of Constitutional Crisis”

March 19, 2025, 7:29 amauthoritarian threats in USRick Hasen

Adam in the NYT: Over the weekend, the Trump administration ignored a federal judge’s order not to deport a group of Venezuelan men, violating an instruction that could not have been plainer or more direct. Justice Department lawyers later justified… Continue reading

Chris Geidner: “Why trying to understand what the Trump admin did in response to the TRO matters”

March 17, 2025, 7:06 amauthoritarian threats in USRick Hasen

Important read at Law Dork: This is complicated, and it is entirely possible that Boasberg ultimately decides Trump administration officials should be held in contempt for knowingly violating his Saturday evening order. But, many people — including in my mentions… Continue reading

“Judges Become Targets in Combative Political Environment; Early court rulings against Trump provoke fury from some of president’s supporters”

March 16, 2025, 5:02 pmauthoritarian threats in US, UncategorizedRick Hasen

Jess Bravin for the WSJ: Having taken the White House and captured the Congress, President Trump’s movement is unleashing its fury on the one branch of government it doesn’t fully control: the judiciary. As more judges have blocked or slowed… Continue reading

“Trump calls his opponents ‘scum’ and lawbreakers in bellicose speech at Justice Department”

March 14, 2025, 3:36 pmauthoritarian threats in US, Department of JusticeRick Hasen

Politico: President Donald Trump on Friday walked into the Department of Justice and labeled his courtroom opponents “scum,” judges “corrupt” and the prosecutors who investigated him “deranged.” With the DOJ logo directly behind him, Trump called his political opponents lawbreakers… Continue reading

“Under G.O.P., Congress Cedes Power to Trump, Eroding Its Influence”

March 14, 2025, 7:21 amauthoritarian threats in US, legislation and legislaturesRick Hasen

NYT: The Republican-led Congress isn’t just watching the Trump administration gobble up its constitutional powers. It is enthusiastically turning them over to the White House. G.O.P. lawmakers are doing so this week by embracing a stopgap spending bill that gives… Continue reading

“Judge blocks key provisions of Trump’s bid to punish Democratic-linked law firm”

March 12, 2025, 4:48 pmauthoritarian threats in US, election law bizRick Hasen

Politico: President Donald Trump’s retaliation against a prominent Democratic-linked law firm is likely unconstitutional, a federal judge ruled Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell blocked the Trump administration from enforcing central provisions of an executive order that seeks to… Continue reading

Perkins Coie Web Page on Its Lawsuit Against the Trump Administration

March 12, 2025, 9:06 amauthoritarian threats in US, election law bizRick Hasen

You can find relevant documents here.

“Can We Save American Democracy?”

March 12, 2025, 7:33 amauthoritarian threats in US, election subversion riskRick Hasen

March 26 online event at the Ash Center (Harvard): In a recent article, Steven Levitsky, Professor of Government at Harvard University and co-author of How Democracies Die, predicts that “U.S. democracy will likely break down during the second… Continue reading