Discover video-sourced quotes by politicians

Richard Blumenthal: “Donald Trump poses a clear and present threat to our…”

Featuring: Richard Blumenthal, Democratic | U.S. Senate from Connecticut

Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast

Published September 27, 2024 | Video Starts at 32:30

Since we're talking as lawyers here, obviously the rule of law came very close to being shredded under Donald Trump … Donald Trump poses a clear and present threat to our democracy. … also that the economy, prices, inflation. You need a plan. You can't just rail against Joe Biden. Kamala Harris has a plan on issues relating to our national security. (32:30–32:53)

CLAIM

Asserts that Donald Trump is a significant threat to democracy.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

Discover more from

Richard Blumenthal

“Under Bush and Obama, there were eight requests for an emergency ruling. Under Trump, the number is 41 in just four years.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 21:53-22:09
“The court gave the Trump administration in whole ear pork, what it wanted in 28 of those cases.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 22:18-22:25
“He [Chief Justice Roberts] could say, I'm not assigning any opinions to Alito or Thomas until they follow and support a code of ethics.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 01:09-31:05
“He [Chief Justice Roberts] will be stuck with his legacy on this court.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 01:09-31:26
“Justices taking free trips, other kinds of financial benefits, have created the appearance of really anything goes.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 06:35-06:47
“The resistance of the Court itself to a code of ethics, I think has been really instrumental.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 06:47-06:54
“A series of decisions that, you know, they're not just wrong, they also overthrow established precedent with such abandon and recklessness.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 06:54-07:07
“The Dobbs decision did away with decades of precedent in the stroke of a pen.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 07:15-07:28
“The credibility and trust of the Court has sunk to new lows.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 09:17-09:34
“Most Americans really think that women should be trusted to make their own decisions.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 09:48-09:56
“90 plus percent of the American people believe that preventing gun violence is a good thing.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 10:26-10:33
“The Supreme Court is the highest court in the land. It has the lowest standards of ethics.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 12:15-12:22
“It's mainly two [Justices] who have thrown into complete disarray the integrity of this court.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 13:00-13:10
“Justices Kagan and Jackson have both endorsed the idea of a code of ethics.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 13:57-14:04
“Justice Sotomayor has hinted at it as well. So there's some dissatisfaction with the resistance of the other justices to an enforceable code…”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 14:03-14:14
“The Chief justice has issued a kind of set of rules that they would do voluntarily.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 14:16-14:22
“The Judicial Conference is created by who? The United States Congress.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 15:06-15:06
“The Judicial Conference imposes rules on the judges, and so do we through jurisdictional requirements.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 15:11-15:19
“The justice is saying nobody can tell us what to do about anything is simply dead wrong.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 15:22-15:29
“It would solve it by requiring more disclosure, adherence to rules, same kinds of ethical standards that apply to senators, to members of…”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 16:22-16:40
“I've also introduced, by the way, a bill that would establish an inspector general.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 16:39-16:46
“Every other branch of government, critically important agency, has an inspector general who can actually investigate potential violations.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 16:48-16:57
“They can have their own inspector general in the judicial branch, in the Judicial Conference.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 17:06-17:13
“Separation of power does not mean unaccountability.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 18:42-18:46
“As U.S. attorney, I investigated pull up corrupt public officials. States are sovereign, but I investigated state officials as an oversight…”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 18:49-19:01
“The Supreme Court has resisted appearing before Congress to testify.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 19:06-19:13
“Just because they're the highest court doesn't mean they are totally above the law.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 19:22-19:28
“Accountability is one of the, you know, means of check and balance that the constitutional framers felt was absolutely sacrosanct.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 19:39-19:51
“The district court enjoined or stopped Trump from using money to build the wall. The court summarily, without an opinion and without a vote…”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 22:25-22:44
“These rulings are unsigned, and they are unexplained. No opinion.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 22:52-23:01
“My proposal would very simply require that these opinions be explained by an opinion by some written statement, and that there be a vote…”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 23:26-23:39
“The emergency docket was supposed to be used for emergencies to in effect, maintain the status quo.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 23:56-24:05
“The emergency docket ruling, the shadow docket ruling, becomes in effect, the rule of the court.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 24:17-24:23
“How did the court's approval rating plummet? How did trust and credibility get lost? And it's partly the result of the shadow docket.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 26:14-26:26
“The process is important... all of it is lost when there's an emergency docket, no oral argument, no real briefing.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 26:43-27:27
“The chief justice has kind of abandoned leadership.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 30:26-30:31
“Kamala Harris has a plan on issues relating to our national security.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 33:06-33:11
“I'm now supporting term limits for Supreme Court justices.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 34:00-34:04
“The founders never thought that justices would live to be 75 and 80 and still be on a court.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 34:06-34:14
“Citizen United is still the bane of our existence in this world.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 35:24-35:31
“Even though we're not going to win against Trump in Montana, we need John Tester back in the Senate.”
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal Discusses Supreme Court Reforms and Ethics on Defending Democracy Podcast | Uploaded September 27, 2024 | 36:18-36:25