Resolution condemning President-elect Donald Trump for threatening the institutions and norms of democracy
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Res. No. 58 ..Title Resolution condemning President-elect Donald Trump for threatening the institutions and norms of democracy ..Body By Council Members Cabán and Louis Whereas, The formal authority of the President is set out in Article II of the United States Constitution; and Whereas, Practically speaking, however, Article II sets out only a small portion of the power and authority bestowed upon a President by the American people; and Whereas, The United States presidency is largely governed by unwritten traditions and expectations that are often referred to as “norms”; and Whereas, Donald Trump spent his first terms as president threating the institutions and norms of democracy; and Whereas, Donald Trump campaigned for President of the United States on threats to the institutions and norms of democracy; and Whereas, In his first term as president, and in his three presidential campaigns, Donald Trump repeatedly undermined the norms of civility in American politics; and Whereas, Donald Trump has mocked his political opponents, calling them demeaning names and insulting their looks; and Whereas, According to the Washington Post fact checker, Donald Trump lied more than 20,000 times by the end of his first term in office; and Whereas, Donald Trump has repeatedly and baselessly accused his political opponents of treason; and Whereas, Formal conflict of interest statutes technically do not apply to the president, but all other modern presidents have chosen to follow them; and Whereas, Donald Trump is the only modern president not to follow federal conflict of interest laws; and Whereas, Donald Trump is the only modern president who failed to place his financial holdings in a blind trust; and Whereas, Donald Trump is the only modern president to own and profit from a private business while president; and Whereas, During his first term in office, Donald Trump’s privately held businesses directly profited from his presidency; and Whereas, Donald Trump has threatened to use the military against an “enemy from within”; and Whereas, Donald Trump has said that he will be a dictator on his first day as president; and Whereas, During his 2024 presidential campaign, Donald Trump threatened to punish his political opponents and other perceived enemies over 100 times; and Whereas, Donald Trump has threatened to imprison members of the congressional committee that investigated the January 6, 2021 attack on the United States Capitol; and Whereas, Donald Trump has targeted the transgender community, promising to end title IX protections for transgender students; and Whereas, Donald Trump has threatened to eliminate legal recognition of transgender people; and Whereas, Donald Trump has threatened to deport millions of non-citizens; and Whereas, Donald Trump has promised to enact ideological screenings for visa applicants; and Whereas, Donald Trump has undermined the legitimacy of United States elections; and Whereas, Donald Trump has falsely claimed that the 2020 presidential election was rigged, thereby undermining voter confidence in election outcomes; and Whereas, Although foreign interference in United States election is prohibited, Donald Trump explicitly welcomed the assistance of foreign nations in his first presidential campaign; and Whereas, Donald Trump was impeached for inviting foreign interference into American policy; and Whereas, Donald Trump was impeached for inciting an insurrection against the United States government; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York condemns President-elect Donald Trump for threatening the institutions and norms of democracy. EHC LS #18000 Res. #0691-2024 1/5/2026 2:37 PM
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