If you think the “Trump 2028” hats strewn about the White House are just for laughs, Ali Velshi warns we’ve been down this road before — and should know where the signs lead. Joking and hinting are classic first steps in President Donald Trump’s playbook, a proven way to float an unlawful, even unthinkable, idea before making it reality. Will Trump defy the 22nd Amendment and seek a third term? If he tries, and even if he succeeds, one group will go down in history as taking a stand: federal judges.
“At best,” says Velshi, “these courts are actively working to uphold constitutional democracy. At minimum, they are documenting its dismantling in real time: creating a legal and historical record that cannot be erased, rewritten or easily denied. Notably, these lower court judges have assumed a responsibility that the Supreme Court has so far declined to take on.”
Velshi points to Judge Susan Graber in Oregon whose striking dissent arguing against allowing National Guard troops into Portland reminded her fellow jurists that they have made a commitment to rule according to facts and … law. Graber also urged Americans to “retain faith in our judicial system for just a little longer,” as lower courts work to restrain Trump’s overreach.
She’s not alone.
Federal judges across the country are issuing extraordinary warnings as Donald Trump tests the limits of presidential power and pushes the nation toward authoritarianism. These judges aren’t just issuing rulings — they’re preserving the factual record at the very moment Trump is trying to erase history, collective memory, and truth itself.
LISTEN: VELSHI ON JUDGES AS HISTORIANS
WATCH: FEDERAL JUDGES SPEAK OUT
MORE FROM MSNBC’S ALI VELSHI
