Oakland, CA – California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a strong rebuke to President Donald Trump on Sunday, accusing the former and current president of launching unprecedented attacks on the United States Constitution, the rule of law, and the nation’s independent judiciary.
In a sharply worded statement, Bonta criticized Trump’s ongoing efforts to undermine the separation of powers, intimidate legal professionals, and erode the country’s constitutional democracy.
“More than two centuries ago, our founding fathers created three co-equal branches of government designed to check each other’s power,” Bonta told reporters. “Today, that principle is being dangerously tested.”
According to Bonta, the Trump administration has repeatedly exceeded its authority, attempting to assert powers reserved for Congress or the states. Courts have intervened to enforce legal compliance, but Bonta cautioned that even court orders have been defied on occasion.
“President Trump’s demands for the judiciary to bow to executive power are not normal,” Bonta told reporters. “His threats of sanctions and retaliation against attorneys and law firms that he dislikes are not typical. These actions are illegal, dangerous, and jeopardize the very basis of our democracy.”
Bonta also condemned Trump and his allies’ efforts to discredit the judiciary, undermine due process, and target individuals for exercising their First Amendment rights.
“The legal system depends on facts, law, and the independent judgment of our courts,” Bonta told reporters. “Undermining those principles risks collapsing the system that protects every American’s rights.”
Bonta has vowed to continue defending constitutional norms and holding the Trump administration accountable.
“We must speak up when our democratic values are threatened. As Attorney General of California, I promise I will.”
