Rob Bonta
Appearances
The MeidasTouch Podcast
California AG Rob Bonta Discusses Lawsuits Against Trump Regime
Absolutely. And first, I'm grateful that Democratic attorneys general across the nation are working together to make sure that we have a president who follows the law and complies with the Constitution. Unfortunately, we have a president who is acting in a way that's been unacceptable and abnormal. He's violated the law at a very fast pace, high volume, high speed of actions.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
California AG Rob Bonta Discusses Lawsuits Against Trump Regime
And we've brought 19 lawsuits in 15 weeks, more than one a week. And yesterday, within a matter of hours, we got two preliminary injunctions ordered by courts stopping some of the unlawful conduct. One is the case you were mentioning where the president sought to withhold already congressionally appropriated funding for museums, for libraries, for other agencies, critical and essential services.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
California AG Rob Bonta Discusses Lawsuits Against Trump Regime
And in a separate case, we got our preliminary injunction yesterday that enjoined stock prevented the president from withholding critical COVID-19 funding that went to schools to address some of the challenges that arose out of COVID-19, like learning loss and mental health issues, also technological capacity.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
California AG Rob Bonta Discusses Lawsuits Against Trump Regime
That funding was also congressionally appropriated, and the president does not have the right to stop it. from being sent to the states after it's already been appropriated. So some good wins yesterday. And that's been our hallmark so far.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
California AG Rob Bonta Discusses Lawsuits Against Trump Regime
We've been winning our cases, broadly speaking, getting injunctions, temporary restraining orders, stopping the president from his unconstitutional and unlawful activity.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
California AG Rob Bonta Discusses Lawsuits Against Trump Regime
Talk to us about that lawsuit. While not surprising, unfortunately, it's always shocking when you think about it as a human being and the common sense, science-based, evidence-based, data-driven steps that we've taken to save lives, extend life, improve people's health. We're a long way away from waste, fraud, and abuse here. These are the opposite of waste, fraud, and abuse.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
California AG Rob Bonta Discusses Lawsuits Against Trump Regime
These are core, essential, critical services that, as you rightfully say, save people's lives. And there's this ongoing attempt to dismantle critical agencies at the education department, health and human services, and the critical services that they provide. They're dismantling them, they're firing employees, they're pulling away our resources and critical services.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
California AG Rob Bonta Discusses Lawsuits Against Trump Regime
And so, it's hard to understand the point. You appropriately propose that maybe cruelty is the point. It's certainly the impact and the outcome. And, you know, governments provide critical essential services and they're taking them away and stripping them away, including in the health and human services area where people's lives are at risk because of these cuts.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
California AG Rob Bonta Discusses Lawsuits Against Trump Regime
We are massively under-invested when it comes to mental health. We need to do more. People need services yesterday. They need access. We have high levels of anxiety and depression and other trauma, and we need trauma-informed care. And these cutbacks are absolutely devastating. As a government, you're supposed to invest in the services and programs that meet the need, that meet the demand.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
California AG Rob Bonta Discusses Lawsuits Against Trump Regime
And the demand for mental health services is through the roof, and so we need to be investing and doing more, not cutting back and pulling back. And so, again, you know, the irony you point out or the hypocrisy is very appropriate when you talk about gun violence. Republicans like to say guns don't kill people, people kill people, and mental health is the issue.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
California AG Rob Bonta Discusses Lawsuits Against Trump Regime
And then you say, what are you doing about mental health? And then you've got crickets. And that's the truth of the hypocrisy. But it would be funny if it weren't so tragic and dangerous. And people's lives are at risk. Their health is at risk. And so it's hard to understand the endgame here of destroying critical services from the federal government. But we are seeing the human devastation.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
California AG Rob Bonta Discusses Lawsuits Against Trump Regime
And unfortunately, it will only continue if these unlawful and cruel actions continue.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
California AG Rob Bonta Discusses Lawsuits Against Trump Regime
I'll first say that you're right. There's this flood the zone approach, shock and awe, high volume, high speed, and it is easy to be distracted. Unfortunately, many of these actions are dangerous and devastating, and a high number of them are unlawful.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
California AG Rob Bonta Discusses Lawsuits Against Trump Regime
our north star with as the attorneys general mine as the attorney general for the largest state department of justice in the nation is identifying what is unlawful when the president does something that is unlawful and harms california that's when we act And we don't necessarily get to set the agenda on that. We are responding to what he does. It's pretty simple.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
California AG Rob Bonta Discusses Lawsuits Against Trump Regime
If Trump breaks the law, we sue him. If he doesn't break the law, we don't, because there's nothing to sue him on. And this isn't about, we can't go to court with political grievance or ideological or policy difference. We'll get thrown out of court immediately. So we go to court when he breaks the law. And he's had patterns of breaking the law here.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
California AG Rob Bonta Discusses Lawsuits Against Trump Regime
He violates the separation of powers quite regularly. He wants to usurp and trespass on legislative authority, Congress's authority, particularly the power of the purse, the power to appropriate and spend.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
California AG Rob Bonta Discusses Lawsuits Against Trump Regime
um he has done that many times um i think focusing on that attempt to violate the constitution and infringe upon a co-equal branch of government's authority is something to keep an eye on he's also gone after rights and freedoms including on day one january 20th you know hours after he raised his hand and swore to uphold the u.s constitution he went and violated it by issuing an executive order that
The MeidasTouch Podcast
California AG Rob Bonta Discusses Lawsuits Against Trump Regime
sought to strike down and revoke birthright citizenship, a right that is right there in black and white in the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution, the Citizenship Clause. If you're born on American soil, your US citizen period, full stop, doesn't matter what the immigration status or citizenship status is of your of your parents.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
California AG Rob Bonta Discusses Lawsuits Against Trump Regime
So all of these cases, 19 is a lot, but they really break down into two major categories. Either the president is trying to strip away someone's constitutional or other legally protected rights, or he's trying to withhold critical federal funding, in California's case, to the tune of over $168 billion that he tried to revoke and withhold that we, through our actions, have continued to make flow.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
California AG Rob Bonta Discusses Lawsuits Against Trump Regime
Yeah, I will say I am not arguing this case because I wanna win this case. And so so we have the New Jersey solicitor general who is outstanding and we have the most confidence in. It's the person in the New Jersey attorney general's office whose specialty is appellate advocacy, who writes incredible appellate briefs for the U.S.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
California AG Rob Bonta Discusses Lawsuits Against Trump Regime
Supreme Court and the circuit courts and other appellate courts and also can argue. with great persuasion and skill. So we're confident in our advocate. We're confident in our case. The case is about the issue of a related and critical issue in the case, but not the actual substance of the constitutional right of birthright citizenship. It's about national injunctions and whether
The MeidasTouch Podcast
California AG Rob Bonta Discusses Lawsuits Against Trump Regime
group of states who go to a court can get a an order from the court and injunction that applies throughout the whole nation as opposed to in their in their states and This is a great case for us to be in front of the US Supreme Court on because this is about a US constitutional right and constitutional rights belong to all In the United States, they either apply to all of us or they apply to none of us.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
California AG Rob Bonta Discusses Lawsuits Against Trump Regime
They don't apply to to the people in blue states, but not the people in red states. So we think a national injunction is very appropriate in this case. And we're looking forward to the argument and being able to make a compelling and persuasive case to the US Supreme Court.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
California AG Rob Bonta Discusses Lawsuits Against Trump Regime
I'm honored and hopefully not the last. I'm grateful to have the opportunity to join you and talk to your amazing followers and audience.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
California AG Rob Bonta Discusses Lawsuits Against Trump Regime
And one thing I do want to say to your point about the Republican attorneys general, they haven't filed one lawsuit given all of these unlawful actions that hurt their people, that hurt their constituents, that strip away their constitutional rights and other federal rights, that pull away millions and billions of dollars of already congressionally appropriated funding to their states.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
California AG Rob Bonta Discusses Lawsuits Against Trump Regime
They're sitting on their hands and saying, this is fine, letting it happen. Meanwhile, Speaker Johnson and the Republicans in Congress are doing the same thing, letting the president run roughshod over their co-equal branch of government while they're asleep at the wheel.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
California AG Rob Bonta Discusses Lawsuits Against Trump Regime
And we need people with backbone and spine who stand up for the rule of law and for rights and freedoms of Americans and to uphold the Constitution. And we are not getting that, nor do we expect that from Republican AGs or the Republican Congress. But Democratic AGs are in the House. And we believe we're the first and last line of defense when it comes to these unlawful attacks on Americans.
The MeidasTouch Podcast
California AG Rob Bonta Discusses Lawsuits Against Trump Regime
And we are not backing down. We are not slowing down. We are immovable and unapologetic in our commitment to each and every time the president of the United States of America breaks the law, we will take him to court to stop him and hold him accountable.
Today, Explained
Rebuilding Los Angeles
We have multiple criminal investigations right now that are moving towards prosecution, arrests, holding people accountable. These are crimes. People can go to jail for up to a year and be slapped with a $10,000 criminal fine as well.