'Truly Disturbing': Dick Durbin Ties Trump's Attacks On Federal Judges To Spike In Threats

2 days ago

At today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) slammed President Trump's attacks on federal judges.

Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:

https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript

Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com

Transcript

00:00today and thank you very much for coming and now Senator Durbin.

00:04Thanks Chairman Grassley. I want to thank you particularly for a comment you recently made

00:08where you said quote you can't impeach a judge just because you disagree with their opinion

00:13end of quote. It shouldn't have to be said but I hope every member of this committee will make that

00:18equally clear today. Indeed in our nation's 250 year history a judge has never never been impeached

00:26because a president disagreed with that judge's ruling but we do say need to say so loudly and

00:32clearly as you did Mr. Chairman as President Trump and Co-President Elon Musk have demanded

00:39the impeachment of federal judges who have ruled against the administration. House Republicans have

00:44rushed to kiss the ring so far filing articles of impeachment against six federal judges and

00:51counting the dangerous irresponsible conduct of the president and his allies has resulted in a

00:58disturbing truly disturbing increase in threats against our federal judges and represent an

01:05existential threat to judicial independence. During my time on this committee I've met with

01:10several judges whose lives have been threatened simply because of their service on the bench.

01:16Some of these threats have turned into acts of violence that have taken the lives

01:20of judges family members including spouses parents and children. It affected my state

01:27in the northern district. I've said it many times before in this committee and I want to say it

01:32again here. Violence or threats of violence from the right or the left on the political spectrum

01:39are never never acceptable. When I was chair of this committee I repeatedly condemned threats

01:45against Republican appointed justices and judges and we passed bipartisan legislation

01:51to improve security for the bench. We must speak with one bipartisan voice on this issue.

01:57Last week my staff spoke with several judges about judicial security. Every single judge

02:03said exactly the same thing. The threats have become more frequent and more disturbing and

02:08while these judges were careful not to comment on political issues they noted that recent rhetoric

02:14against judges has contributed to increased threats to judicial security. One judge likened

02:21it to adding fuel to a bonfire and she noted her fear that in time it would become a wildfire

02:27out of control. We must avoid that outcome but it will require the president and his fellow

02:33Republicans including members of this committee to work together with the Democrats to lower the

02:39temperature and end the attacks on judges and judiciary. This hearing is about nationwide

02:45injunctions. It's impossible to separate the hearing from President Trump's record in office.

02:50The reality is that we would not be holding this hearing if the president took a different

02:55approach to the rule of law. We've heard repeated complaints from Republicans about the number of

03:02injunctions issued against this president compared to other presidents. Why so many?

03:08They ignore the fact that this president has issued more than 100 executive orders. The most

03:14by any president at this point in his term in at least four decades. Many are clearly illegal.

03:22Take the president's executive order to end birthright citizenship. Three federal judges

03:29in three different states have blocked this order including two judges appointed by Republican

03:35presidents and three separate appeals courts have refused to lift these injunctions. Judge John

03:42Cunar who was appointed by President Ronald Reagan was the first judge to block the order which he

03:48called quote blatantly unconstitutional. The reality is that the number of injunctions issued

03:54against the first and second Trump administration are evidence of a president who is clearly

04:00violating the law. That being said I'm happy to discuss the legal and practical implications

04:06of nationwide injunctions but as I've said many times before we cannot have one set of rules for

04:13Republicans and another set of rules for Democrats. Any legislation on this topic must be based on the

04:19merits not political expediency. Professor Bray in your testimony before the committee recall a

04:26decision by a Texas court about 10 years ago on DAPA. That's near and dear to my heart. That

04:33is based on the DREAM Act which I introduced a long time ago and my pleadings with President

04:39Obama to create that program meant a lot to me personally. I recall when that issue came before

04:44the court in Texas and the judge issued a universal injunction to enforce it. I would add as the

04:53chairman has noted there was cheering from the Republican senators from Texas for that decision.

04:59Some of them today see the issue differently in the context of a president of their own party.

05:07I cannot support legislation that does not take reality into consideration. Only if we have an

05:13effective date that makes sense would I consider making any changes myself. In 1776 in a pamphlet

05:21appropriately titled common sense Thomas Paine famously wrote quote in America the law is king

05:29for as in absolute governments the king is the law. So in free countries the law ought to be king

05:36and there ought to be no other. Today we'll discuss the use of nationwide injunctions but

05:42there can be no debate that in America the law is king as it has been since our founding. The

05:49president is not a king. Not even this president as much as he might wish otherwise. He is bound

05:56by the decisions of our courts just like every other American. Now the president and his political

06:03allies are welcome to disagree with judicial decisions that block his illegal actions but

06:09we cannot allow anyone to threaten or intimidate our judges and we cannot stand idly by amid a

06:15threat to our constitution and separation of powers. The chairman has asked me to introduce

06:20my witness and I'll be glad to do that. Professor Stephen Vladek is the Agnes Williams sesquicentennial

06:26professor of

'Truly Disturbing': Dick Durbin Ties Trump's Attacks On Federal Judges To Spike In Threats

Category

Transcript

Recommended