CA's Rob Bonta Says He, Other AGs In Lawsuit Against Trump Admin. Are 'Immovable, Relentless'

3 days ago

California's Rob Bonta said he and other Attorney Generals leading lawsuits against the Trump Administration are 'immovable, relentless, and unapologetic.'

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Transcript

00:00Nick, you are now unmuted.

00:03Hi, thanks for doing this and for taking my question.

00:05I am a reporter with the Chronicle of Higher Education

00:08and we've been covering what's happened in Maine

00:11with the Trump administration attempting

00:14to withhold some funding,

00:16although it's now been released through the USDA

00:18for the University of Maine system,

00:20apparently after a spat between the governor

00:22and the president.

00:24So I'm curious, do you have any concern

00:26that cases like this could bring on retaliation

00:30from the Trump administration?

00:34I can start, I'm sure all my colleagues

00:36have something to add here.

00:38No, we signed up not only to become attorney generals

00:42of our state and take that responsibility

00:46extremely seriously.

00:48I'm the first black woman to serve as AG in Massachusetts

00:51and what does, I tell my constituents,

00:52it doesn't matter that I'm the first,

00:54if I don't stand up and exercise the courage

00:56that is necessary in this moment in time

00:59to fight back against an administration

01:01that seems bent on creating chaos and confusion,

01:05to create fear in our communities,

01:06and most importantly, to continue to take actions

01:09that are unlawful.

01:10We are here not only to defend the rule of law,

01:13but to protect our residents

01:14and to protect our respective states economies.

01:18And it's our job to stand up.

01:20And we would hope that we could actually collaborate

01:22with this administration on addressing educational issues

01:24and economic issues in our respective states.

01:26But unfortunately, we continue to have to go to court

01:29to hold them accountable.

01:30And so I will continue to do that

01:32on behalf of the residents and companies

01:35and others here in Massachusetts

01:37and do it without any fear of retribution

01:40because we know why we do this work.

01:41I know why I do this work.

01:43And most importantly, who I serve.

01:46And in this context, it is the most vulnerable

01:48who need our advocacy the most.

01:51Let me also join by saying that in another lawsuit

01:55that we brought against the Office of Management and Budget

01:57against a number of federal agencies

02:00that sought to pause federal funds.

02:03We amended our complaint to add additional federal agencies,

02:08but we also sought a motion to enforce

02:10when federal agencies unfortunately didn't continue

02:15to pause and freeze funds from a number of agencies

02:19across this nation, that issue was resolved

02:22and we did not have to file a motion for contempt.

02:26But in the event that in fact, this government,

02:30this federal government refuses to comply

02:32with federally court orders,

02:34we are prepared to use all of our legal options

02:37at our disposal.

02:42Yeah, and I'll just add that we are immovable

02:47and we are immovable, relentless and unapologetic

02:51in our commitment to upholding the rule of law.

02:54It's not a lot to ask that the president

02:56of the United States follow the law

02:58and comply with the constitution.

02:59It is foundational.

03:01It is part of who we are.

03:04This is what we do.

03:05And so the president will do what he does.

03:09He's unpredictable.

03:10He's been reckless and dangerous.

03:12And we are not concerned about that.

03:14We're concerned about the people that we're protecting.

03:17The rule of law that when upheld ensures

03:20that congressional intent is carried out

03:23and critical essential services are delivered

03:25to the American people.

03:27And so we're here yet again, our eighth lawsuit.

03:30And we only sue when something unlawful has been done.

03:35If all we have is political grievance

03:37or ideological difference,

03:38we have absolutely nothing to do in court.

03:41But when the law is broken

03:42by the president of the United States,

03:45it is our job, our duty.

03:46We will continue to do it.

03:47Again, unapologetically and immovably

03:50to make sure the rule of law

03:51in the United States of America is followed.

03:55And Rick, I'll just also do a quick follow up.

04:01In my public school, if a bully like president Trump

04:04was on the playground, he would have been expelled.

04:08He would have been taken off the playground

04:10and he would no longer be a part of our class.

04:14What he does is no different than that bully

04:17on every playground that we find in schools.

04:19And it is our job to make sure that we're strong enough

04:23to withstand whatever he wants to put forward

04:30because what he does is simply unconscionable

04:33and unacceptable.

CA's Rob Bonta Says He, Other AGs In Lawsuit Against Trump Admin. Are 'Immovable, Relentless'

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