We write in dismay at the accelerating demise of our democracy. When our institutions demand vigilant defense, we see instead a series of power grabs –  and your unwillingness to stand against them — that imperil the very foundations of our Republic.

We are witnessing:

*Erosion of checks and balances — Congress ceding its oversight role and allowing presidential power to expand unchecked.

*Politicization of the Justice Department — undermining independent investigations and discrediting the judiciary for political gain.

*Assaults on free and fair elections — false claims of fraud, gerrymandering and weakening of voting protections to restrict access.

*Normalization of political violence and intimidation — rhetoric that emboldens threats against election workers, journalists and public officials.

*The dismantling of truth — disinformation campaigns designed to delegitimize democratic outcomes and undermine public trust in fact-based governance.

*Extortion of universities — investigations under the pretext of combating antisemitism used to freeze billions in funding, coercing institutions like Columbia, Harvard and Princeton into politically driven changes to curricula, research and governance.

*Politicization of America’s museums — sweeping reviews of Smithsonian institutions, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture, forcing revisions to align with President Trump’s narrative of “American exceptionalism.”

Rather than defending the Constitution, you are enabling Trump’s authoritarian ambitions — excusing misconduct, refusing accountability and perpetuating narratives corroding faith in our democracy.

The oath you swore was to the Constitution of the United States, not Trump. Your duty is to safeguard the institutions and principles that make this nation free, even if politically inconvenient. History will remember who stood against the degradation of democracy, and who bowed to one man’s ambitions.

Please reconsider your course. Defend the rule of law. Speak truth to your constituents. Place your loyalty where it belongs: with the people and the Constitution.

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