‘This is the time for patriots to stand up’: Republicans pummeled for letting Trump dismantle the justice system

On CNN Thursday, Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) laid into his GOP colleagues for enabling President Donald Trump's spree of political interference into the justice system.

"I can't tell you how tired I am, at this moment of crisis in our democracy and when the president is reaching into individual court cases and talking about individual jurors," said Himes. "Had that happened four years ago, it would be a three-week news cycle. Now it's Donald Trump's afternoon activity. I'm completely unimpressed by people scratching their chin like the attorney general and saying, gosh, this is hard. Or Susan Collins of Maine saying, I'm so concerned."

"This is the time for patriots to stand up and say that this is not okay in our democracy," continued Himes. "There are still months left in Donald Trump's first term. We can talk about whether there will be a second term. There are months left. If people who don't value the institutions of American democracy don't stop scratching their chin or making excuses or rationalizing behavior, this democracy will slip away."

"So if the attorney general wants to salvage whatever shred of his reputation remains, he shouldn't just talk about how hard it is," added Himes. "He should say, I care about the Constitution. I resign and I'm going to tell my story about this institution."

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