Isabella Carter
Former US President Donald Trump has been accused of attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 US presidential election, subverting American democracy, and violating the US Constitution. Trump's actions have been described as a 'blitzkrieg on the law' by legal experts, who argue that he has shown a greater willingness than his predecessors to violate the Constitution and federal law. Trump's controversial moves have included banning birthright citizenship, freezing federal spending, and dismissing members of federal agencies. There have been multiple investigations and legal challenges to Trump's actions, with some judges ruling that his orders are unconstitutional and in violation of the First Amendment. Trump's supporters violently stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, in a bid to halt the peaceful transition of power, and there is evidence that Trump 'explicitly' knew about this plan. Trump has also been accused of persecuting his political enemies and attempting to influence the justice system. These actions have led to concerns about Trump's respect for the rule of law and the US Constitution.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Call to terminate the Constitution | Over 2020 election results |
| Violation of the Impoundment Control Act | Freezing trillions in federal spending |
| Violation of the First Amendment | Retaliating against law firms for the views embodied in their legal work |
| Violation of due process rights | Unlawful deportation of a 2-year-old American and their family |
| Subversion of democracy | Attempts to overturn the 2020 election results |
| Violation of the Constitution | Banning birthright citizenship |
| Violation of the Constitution | Firing members of the NLRB and EEOC |
| Violation of the Constitution | Pardoning violent criminals |
| Violation of the Constitution | Stealing funds for programs that help American families and businesses |
| Violation of the Constitution | Firing career civil servants without cause |
| Violation of the Constitution | Dismantling agencies created by acts of Congress |
| Violation of the Constitution | Initiating plans to gut the Public Integrity Section of the Justice Department |
| Violation of the Constitution | Initiating plans to gut other Justice Department units that combat money laundering and prosecute foreign corruption cases |
| Violation of the Constitution | Initiating plans to restore gun possession rights to convicted felons and domestic abusers |
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What You'll Learn
Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election results
Following his loss in the 2020 United States presidential election, then-incumbent president Donald Trump refused to concede and embarked on an unprecedented campaign to overturn the election results. Trump and his supporters propagated false claims and conspiracy theories, alleging that the election was stolen through rigged voting machines, electoral fraud, and an international conspiracy.
Trump's efforts to subvert the election outcome culminated in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol by his supporters. This insurrection, described as an attempted self-coup d'état, resulted in a deadly bid to halt the peaceful transition of power. Trump's role in inciting this event has led to widespread condemnation, criminal investigations, and multiple indictments.
Trump employed various tactics in his attempt to overturn the election. He enlisted a private attorney, Kurt Olsen, to propose a legal challenge to the election results, similar to an unsuccessful attempt by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, supported by Republican members of Congress, to have the Supreme Court reject results in four states. Trump pressured Department of Justice leaders to challenge the election's integrity and even sought the involvement of Vice President Mike Pence to alter the results. Additionally, Trump utilized the "big lie" propaganda technique to spread false claims of a stolen election, a strategy that persisted well into 2022.
Trump's actions have been widely criticized by legal scholars and historians, who argue that he has demonstrated a blatant disregard for the US Constitution and the rule of law. Laurence Tribe, a leading constitutional scholar, described Trump as the "most lawless and scofflaw president" in US history. Trump's spending freeze was also seen as an attempt to ignore Congress's constitutional power of the purse, violating the Impoundment Control Act.
The consequences of Trump's attempts to overturn the election have been significant. He was impeached for a second time, and criminal investigations into his actions are ongoing. Special counsel Jack Smith has been appointed to oversee the Justice Department's investigation, issuing subpoenas to election officials in multiple states and Trump associates. Trump's actions have raised concerns about the integrity of US democracy and the expansion of presidential power.
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Trump's termination of constitutional rights
Since his first term, Trump has been accused of undermining the US Constitution and violating federal law. He has been criticised for his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, his refusal to accept the outcome, and his denial of the Capitol insurrection on January 6, 2021. Trump's actions and statements have sparked concerns about his commitment to constitutional rights and the rule of law.
One of the main concerns regarding Trump's termination of constitutional rights is his attempt to overturn the 2020 election results. Trump pressured Vice President Mike Pence and state officials to reject the electoral votes of swing states and declare himself the winner. He also held a conference call with legislators, providing purported evidence of election fraud to justify calling special sessions to decertify their electors. These actions led to an investigation into his efforts to overturn the election results.
Trump has also been accused of violating the Constitution through his executive actions and spending decisions. He frozen federal spending, which was seen as a usurpation of Congress's power and a violation of the Impoundment Control Act. He also banned birthright citizenship, which was blocked by federal judges as unconstitutional. Additionally, Trump pardoned or commuted the sentences of January 6 rioters, persecuted his political enemies, and fired prosecutors who investigated his crimes against the Constitution after the 2020 election.
Furthermore, Trump's administration has been accused of violating due process rights and unlawfully deporting individuals. A notable case involved the deportation of a 2-year-old American child and their family to Honduras, despite legal efforts to stop it. Federal Judge Terry A. Doughty ruled that deporting US citizens was "illegal and unconstitutional." Trump has also been criticised for his plans to gut important Justice Department units, restore gun possession rights to convicted felons, and remove experienced career officials.
Trump's disregard for the Constitution and the rule of law has been widely condemned. Legal scholars and historians have expressed concern over his willingness to violate the Constitution and federal law. Laurence Tribe, a leading constitutional scholar, stated that Trump is the "most lawless and scofflaw president" in US history. Trump's actions and statements have sparked fears about the preservation of constitutional rights and democracy in the United States.
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Trump's disregard for the rule of law
Since his return to the White House in January 2025, Donald Trump has been accused of waging a war against the rule of law and attempting to overturn the US Constitution.
Trump's controversial actions have included banning birthright citizenship, firing 18 inspectors general, freezing federal spending, and dismissing members of the National Labor Relations Board and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Laurence Tribe, a leading constitutional scholar, has called Trump the "most lawless and scofflaw president we have ever seen in the history of the United States".
Trump has also been accused of persecuting his political enemies and firing prosecutors who attempted to hold him accountable for his actions. He pardoned or commuted the sentences of 1,200 January 6 rioters, and his administration deported a 2-year-old American and her family to Honduras, despite a federal judge ruling that it was "illegal and unconstitutional".
In addition, Trump has been criticised for his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, including pressuring Vice President Mike Pence and lawmakers in swing states to declare him the winner and decertify their electors. He has also been accused of violating the Constitution by targeting law firms that have represented his political opponents and blocking their security clearances.
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Trump's violation of the First Amendment
While campaigning, Trump positioned himself as a champion of the First Amendment. Indeed, one of his first acts as president was to sign an executive order prohibiting federal government interference with Americans' free speech rights. However, critics argue that Trump's actions threaten free speech.
Trump's administration has targeted law firms for their affiliations with Democrats or the previous administration, stripping security clearances for lawyers who provided legal services for investigations into Trump. Jameel Jaffer, director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia, argued that these attacks have scared some high-profile attorneys out of taking cases that challenge the administration.
Trump has also made pledges that signal he might oppose some of the First Amendment's fundamental protections. For example, he has threatened to deport foreign students who protested Israel. Trump's supporters violently stormed the Capitol in a bid to halt the peaceful transition of power, and Trump himself has called for federal troops to quell peaceful demonstrations for Black Lives Matter.
Trump's comments about the 2020 election results have also been criticised. He has been rebuked for calling to 'terminate' the Constitution over the results, with a spokesman for the White House stating: "The American Constitution is a sacrosanct document that for over 200 years has guaranteed that freedom and the rule of law prevail in our great country." Trump and his allies have also attempted to argue that the First Amendment protects his claims that the election was "rigged". However, the United States has charged Trump with a conspiracy to interfere with a "bedrock function" of the federal government: counting and certifying the results of a presidential election.
Trump's administration has also amended the Assange indictment with superseding charges related to Assange's publishing of sensitive documents, which was broadly read as a threat to the mainstream media.
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Trump's unlawful spending freeze
In 2025, Donald Trump's administration ordered a freeze on federal spending, which was quickly deemed unlawful by legal experts. The spending freeze was seen as an attempt to ignore Congress's constitutional power of the purse and violate the 1974 Impoundment Control Act. The Impoundment Control Act allows presidents to withhold funds in limited circumstances, but only if they follow specific procedures, which Trump failed to do.
The spending freeze caused mass confusion across the country, impacting local governments, nonprofits, and individuals. Several groups sued to stop the freeze, and federal judges moved to temporarily block it. Facing widespread criticism, the Trump administration rescinded the freeze two days later.
The spending freeze was part of a series of controversial moves by Trump, including banning birthright citizenship and firing inspectors general, which demonstrated a willingness to violate the Constitution and federal law. Laurence Tribe, a leading constitutional scholar, called Trump the "most lawless and scofflaw president" in US history.
Trump has also proposed pay freezes for federal workers, which have been criticized as an "assault on the federal workforce." These proposals have been met with resistance, with Congress overruling him and enacting pay increases.
Trump's actions, including the unlawful spending freeze, have raised concerns about his disregard for the Constitution and the rule of law. His administration's failure to submit detailed spend plans and illegally impound funds further highlight their disregard for established procedures and the potential undermining of Congress's power.
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Frequently asked questions
Trump has been accused of trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election, which would be a violation of the US Constitution. He has also been accused of violating the Constitution and federal law through his spending freeze and attempts to block the security clearances of several attorneys.
There is evidence that Trump pressured Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the election results in swing states and declare himself and Pence the winners. He also held a conference call with 300 legislators of key states to provide them with purported evidence of election fraud and justify calling special sessions of their legislatures to decertify their electors.
Trump has been accused of violating the Constitution and federal law through his spending freeze, which some legal experts argue is a clear usurpation of Congress's power of the purse. He has also been accused of violating the First Amendment by attempting to block the security clearances of attorneys who have represented his political opponents or investigated his actions. Additionally, he has been criticized for his decision to pardon or commute the sentences of 1,200 January 6 rioters, as well as for his attempts to deport immigrants and US citizens without due process.
