Dear John,
Donald Trump is on an unconstitutional authoritarian rampage, and federal judges have been doing a truly heroic job standing up to him and upholding the rule of law.
But a one-sentence provision hidden in the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” passed by the House last month would give Trump broad latitude to ignore judicial rulings against him and his minions.
And now we’ve learned that an even more extreme anti-judges provision has been added to the Senate version of Trump’s mega-bill.
This is a direct attack on the separation of powers that form the basis of our constitutional system of government. If federal judges are stripped of the ability to say no to Trump, then that could truly be the final straw that ends our democracy.
We’re sounding the alarm about Trump’s assault on the independent judiciary to our nearly 10 million followers across social media, and with democracy teetering on the brink, we must ramp up our efforts immediately.
Will you make a monthly donation to help educate the public, resist authoritarianism, and stop Trump’s attacks on the federal judiciary?
From day one, Trump has unleashed a barrage of illegal and unconstitutional orders attacking our most fundamental rights and shredding large swaths of the federal government.
Thankfully, the federal judiciary has stood strong against him. In fact, as of this week, at least 187 federal court rulings have temporarily paused or permanently blocked Trump’s illegal initiatives.
But every time Trump loses in court, the question becomes whether he will obey the judge’s ruling. In fact, multiple judges have already raised the possibility of holding Trump officials in contempt of court for refusing to comply with direct court orders. A finding of contempt can result in steep fines or even jail time, and it’s a key tool that judges use to make their rulings stick.
However, the House-passed provision hidden in Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” would bar judges from holding administration officials in contempt in most situations, giving them a green light to ignore the courts with impunity. Meanwhile, the Senate’s draft of the bill goes even further by simply blocking judges from issuing injunctions against illegal Trump policies in the first place.
Their goal is to remove any obstacles to Trump’s ability to govern as an all-powerful dictator.
And we know what that looks like: Elected officials arrested for asking questions, legal residents abducted by masked agents for their political views, U.S. Marines deployed against American citizens. The death of American democracy.
The team here at Inequality Media Civic Action is working day and night to produce viral videos, explainers, and posts to warn the American people about these escalating threats to democracy. And one of our highest priorities in this darkness must be to protect the brave judges who are doing so much right now to push back against Trump’s tyranny.
That’s why I’m personally asking you today: Will you make a monthly donation to Inequality Media Civic Action to get the truth out and stop Trump’s attacks on the federal judiciary?
Thank you,
Robert Reich
Inequality Media Civic Action