Tom Nichols

And some of the big democracy promoting institutions like the National Democratic Institute, National Endowment for Democracy, International Republican Institute that are doing work with democracy campaigners, anti-corruption activists all around the world. They've also been laying low. They're worried if we file a suit, we're going to war against the Trump administration.

And some of the big democracy promoting institutions like the National Democratic Institute, National Endowment for Democracy, International Republican Institute that are doing work with democracy campaigners, anti-corruption activists all around the world. They've also been laying low. They're worried if we file a suit, we're going to war against the Trump administration.

And so they're all frozen. They're furloughing their staff. Their work is not happening. People are suffering as a result. And I completely get why they're afraid. If you're running an organization like that, you also have an obligation to your employees. You want to keep them employed for the next four years. But if they were suing, they would be winning and their funds would be unfrozen.

And so they're all frozen. They're furloughing their staff. Their work is not happening. People are suffering as a result. And I completely get why they're afraid. If you're running an organization like that, you also have an obligation to your employees. You want to keep them employed for the next four years. But if they were suing, they would be winning and their funds would be unfrozen.

And so they're all frozen. They're furloughing their staff. Their work is not happening. People are suffering as a result. And I completely get why they're afraid. If you're running an organization like that, you also have an obligation to your employees. You want to keep them employed for the next four years. But if they were suing, they would be winning and their funds would be unfrozen.

And I think we're at a time where I would want to see every single organization that spends U.S. money in support of U.S. interests and values around the world to band together right now and to file a joint lawsuit and to do it together. So that's why I stress that.

And I think we're at a time where I would want to see every single organization that spends U.S. money in support of U.S. interests and values around the world to band together right now and to file a joint lawsuit and to do it together. So that's why I stress that.

And I think we're at a time where I would want to see every single organization that spends U.S. money in support of U.S. interests and values around the world to band together right now and to file a joint lawsuit and to do it together. So that's why I stress that.

But they haven't done it yet. So the other side of this, though, is that we shouldn't over-rely on the courts. I think we're going to win a lot of victories. I think most judges, even Trump judges, are going to uphold the law. But I could see a point where this gets to the Supreme Court.

But they haven't done it yet. So the other side of this, though, is that we shouldn't over-rely on the courts. I think we're going to win a lot of victories. I think most judges, even Trump judges, are going to uphold the law. But I could see a point where this gets to the Supreme Court.

But they haven't done it yet. So the other side of this, though, is that we shouldn't over-rely on the courts. I think we're going to win a lot of victories. I think most judges, even Trump judges, are going to uphold the law. But I could see a point where this gets to the Supreme Court.

And I could see some justices saying, you know, we got a dispute here between the executive branch and the legislative branch. You guys are big boys. Work it out. Congress, you have the power of the purse under the Constitution. If you think the president is usurping his authority. You're supposed to use the power of the purse, just as we were discussing, right? March 14th.

And I could see some justices saying, you know, we got a dispute here between the executive branch and the legislative branch. You guys are big boys. Work it out. Congress, you have the power of the purse under the Constitution. If you think the president is usurping his authority. You're supposed to use the power of the purse, just as we were discussing, right? March 14th.

And I could see some justices saying, you know, we got a dispute here between the executive branch and the legislative branch. You guys are big boys. Work it out. Congress, you have the power of the purse under the Constitution. If you think the president is usurping his authority. You're supposed to use the power of the purse, just as we were discussing, right? March 14th.

Don't come to us to resolve your little dispute. There's a lot of precedent for the Supreme Court kind of backing away and forcing the branches to use their powers to fight it out. At the end of the day, I think this may all come back to the Congress and the Democrats in the House. Are you willing to use the power of the purse to preserve the power of the purse?

Don't come to us to resolve your little dispute. There's a lot of precedent for the Supreme Court kind of backing away and forcing the branches to use their powers to fight it out. At the end of the day, I think this may all come back to the Congress and the Democrats in the House. Are you willing to use the power of the purse to preserve the power of the purse?

Don't come to us to resolve your little dispute. There's a lot of precedent for the Supreme Court kind of backing away and forcing the branches to use their powers to fight it out. At the end of the day, I think this may all come back to the Congress and the Democrats in the House. Are you willing to use the power of the purse to preserve the power of the purse?

That's the path of least resistance. But if there is resistance from the Democrats, if they need Democratic votes for something, which they will, and the Democrats do the obvious simple thing that we've just been discussing, then that's a real negotiation. that Johnson would have to engage in. You get to that point, we're not going to save everything. Trump is still president.

That's the path of least resistance. But if there is resistance from the Democrats, if they need Democratic votes for something, which they will, and the Democrats do the obvious simple thing that we've just been discussing, then that's a real negotiation. that Johnson would have to engage in. You get to that point, we're not going to save everything. Trump is still president.

That's the path of least resistance. But if there is resistance from the Democrats, if they need Democratic votes for something, which they will, and the Democrats do the obvious simple thing that we've just been discussing, then that's a real negotiation. that Johnson would have to engage in. You get to that point, we're not going to save everything. Trump is still president.