Latest / Uncensored Objection / Trump Tried to Bully a Top Law Firm—And the Judge Torched Him for It (audio)

Transcript

Trump Tried to Bully a Top Law Firm—And the Judge Torched Him for It (audio) · Uncensored Objection

• 0:00
  I want to talk to you today about something that should scare
• 0:03
  the hell out of every
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: American who still believes in the rule of law.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: And that's Trump's escalating war on lawyers and law firms.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: That's right.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not just talking about political banter or heated rhetoric.
• 0:16
  I'm talking about full-on executive orders signed by the
• 0:21
  sitting president of the
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: United States in 2025 that punish law firms for doing their job.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: for defending clients,
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: for standing up in court,
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: for being part of an independent legal system,
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: the very system that's supposed to serve all of us.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: Let me say that again.
• 0:42
  Donald Trump is using the power of the presidency to retaliate
• 0:46
  against law firms he
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: doesn't like.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_00: Because they dared to represent people or causes he considers enemies.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: Because they told the truth.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: Because they didn't fall in line.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: And thank God I'm here to tell you,
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: some judges still know how to stand up and do the right thing.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: This week, a federal judge of Washington, U.S.
• 1:12
  District Judge Richard Leon,
• 1:15
  struck down yet another one of Trump's executive orders.
• 1:20
  This one was aimed squarely at WilmerHale,
• 1:23
  one of the most respected law firms in the country.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: WilmerHale?
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: Their crime?
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: Well, they once employed Robert Mueller.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: Yes,
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: that Robert Mueller,
• 1:36
  the special counsel who led the Russia investigation during
• 1:39
  Trump's first term.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: That's what triggered this order.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: Let that sink in.
• 1:46
  Trump issued a federal order targeting a private law firm
• 1:50
  because it used to employ
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: someone who investigated him.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: This is revenge politics at its most dangerous.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: In his ruling, Judge Leon didn't just pull punches.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: He called Trump's order,
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: quote,
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: a staggering punishment for the firm's protected speech,
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_00: end quote.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: The judge also said flat out,
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: quote,
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: the order is intended to,
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: and does in fact,
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: impede the firm's ability to effectively represent its clients.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: Then Judge Leon dropped the hammer.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: Quote,
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: The order shouts through a bullhorn.
• 2:33
  If you take on causes disfavored by President Trump,
• 2:36
  you will be punished.
• 2:40
  Let's let that marinate for just a couple of seconds,
• 2:42
  because that's not democracy.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: That's not what this country's all about.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: That's not the job of the president to single out private companies,
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: private entities,
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: private lawyers,
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: and private law firms.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: And try to destroy them.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: It's not okay.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: We're not going to remain silent.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_00: And we're not going to let that happen.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: After all, the Constitution is not optional.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: Now let's remember what Judge Leon also wrote.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: He said,
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: quote,
• 3:09
  The cornerstone of the American justice system is an
• 3:12
  independent judiciary and an
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: independent bar willing to tackle unpopular cases,
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: however daunting.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: The founding fathers knew this.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: End quote.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: And he was absolutely right.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: That's not just legal philosophy.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: It's the bones of our democracy.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: By allowing Trump's order to stand,
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: Judge Leon said,
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: quote,
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: would be unfaithful to the judgment and vision of the founding fathers,
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: end quote.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_00: Now think about that.
• 3:45
  We're watching the president of the United States try to
• 3:47
  dismantle the legal
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: profession's independence and
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: and doing so with open threats, executive punishments, and intimidation.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: And when a judge appointed by George W.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: Bush tells you that Trump's order violates the Constitution,
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: you better believe this isn't about partisanship.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: It's about basic American values.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: Now, this isn't an isolated win.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: It's the third ruling this month against Trump's legal vendetta.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: First, we had Perkins Coy.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: Then we had Jenner and Block.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: And now we have Wilmer Hale.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: Each of these executive orders had the same chilling goals.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: Revoke security clearances,
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: block access to federal buildings,
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_00: cut off firms from doing their work,
• 4:39
  all because they represented someone or stood for something
• 4:43
  Trump didn't like.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: And look, this is part of a broader pattern.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: Trump isn't just targeting individual lawyers.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: He's going after the entire system.
• 4:55
  He wants to intimidate,
• 4:57
  punish,
• 4:57
  and silence anyone who represents causes he doesn't like.
• 5:03
  And I'm here to say,
• 5:04
  and you already know this,
• 5:05
  but that's not how justice works.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: In fact,
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: some firms have already been forced into shady settlements,
• 5:12
  agreements that require them to provide hundreds of millions of
• 5:16
  dollars in free
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_00: legal services for causes Trump's administration cherry picks.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_00: That's extortion.
• 5:25
  That's legal extortion and is happening right now in real time
• 5:29
  under this administration.
• 5:31
  When you pause and take a deep breath and give this the
• 5:34
  consideration and thought
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: that it deserves,
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: it's fairly clear that this isn't about Trump.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: It's not about the lawyers and the law firms.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_00: It's about all of us.
• 5:44
  And I believe that we're living through something far more
• 5:46
  dangerous than just
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_00: another political movement.
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: This right now is a crisis of constitutional proportions,
• 5:54
  and it's going to take decades to undo the damage if we don't
• 5:58
  speak up now.
• 6:00
  Trump and his enablers are trying to burn down the guardrails
• 6:04
  of democracy,
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: one court order,
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_00: one law firm,
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: one institution at a time.
• 6:11
  And they're doing it in exchange for power,
• 6:13
  money,
• 6:14
  and a place at the table.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: In my opinion,
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: if you love this country,
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: if you care about our justice system,
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_00: you have to pay attention to this moment.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: You have to vote like it matters because it does.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I'm not just a lawyer.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_00: I'm a dad, a husband, a citizen, and I'm worried.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: I'm worried for my kids.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: I'm worried for your kids,
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: our grandchildren someday,
• 6:40
  for every honest lawyer who just wants to do their job without
• 6:43
  being hunted by the
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_00: government.
• 6:45
  I'm worried for every voter who wants to believe that their
• 6:48
  country still plays by the rules.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: So for all of these reasons, this is where I stand.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_00: We need to protect the independence of our courts.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: We need to protect the lawyers who stand between power and the people.
• 7:02
  And we need to hold a president accountable when he uses that
• 7:05
  power to punish the
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: innocent and reward the loyal.
• 7:10
  The rule of law doesn't bend for kings,
• 7:13
  and it damn sure shouldn't bow to bullies.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: If this moved you, if you're fired up, please share it.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: Please talk about it.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_00: Please push it forward.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_00: Because right now, silence is not an option.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: We need more action.