Dear John,
Democracy and the rule of law had a bad week. But the barrage of Executive Orders issued in the past few days were fully predictable.
Project 2025 detailed exactly what should happen and was written in large measure by individuals now empowered to implement the 900-page manifesto.
Among other attacks on the norms and principles of democracy, Project 2025 promised to eliminate all efforts to seek equality and inclusion in the federal government. And it set forth how the Department of Justice and other parts of the government should essentially cease operating with independence, remove senior experienced officials, and ensure that future decisions are made in accordance with the demands of the President of the United States.
We are now facing a clear and present danger to the rule of law as we know it. Project 2025 provided the instruction manual, and the executive orders are the implementing mechanism. It is critical to understand that through-line as we analyze each executive action through a democracy and rule of law lens.
Our Executive Director, Lauren Stiller Rikleen, wrote about this for The Verdict: Behind Trump's Executive Orders: Understanding Project 2025's Master Plan.
We will have much more to say about the executive orders and Project 2025’s distain for science, equality, pluralism, the independence of our justice system, and our Constitutional system of checks and balances. Our work will build upon LDAD’s Talking Points that focused on democracy and rule of law issues in Project 2025.
It is the fundamental obligation of lawyers to protect the norms and principles of democracy and the rule of law. The time for that engagement is now.
Thank you for your dedication to maintaining our democracy. Please support our efforts by donating to LDAD and by sharing this email with your networks. As always, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] if you may be interested in volunteering or if you wish to share your ideas.
Lawyers Defending American Democracy
