1 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: This is Bloomberg Law with June Grossel from Bloomberg Radio. 2 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 2: Effective immediately, We're repealing the ridiculous endangerment finding and terminating 3 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 2: all additional green emission standards imposed unnecessarily on vehicle models 4 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 2: and engines between twenty twelve and twenty twenty seven and beyond. 5 00:00:24,920 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 3: It's the most aggressive move by President Trump to roll 6 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:34,239 Speaker 3: back climate regulations. His administration has revoked a key scientific 7 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:38,320 Speaker 3: finding that's been the central basis for US action to 8 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 3: regulate greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change. It's undoing 9 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 3: what's known as the endangerment finding, or ruling from the 10 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 3: EPA in two thousand and nine under former President Obama 11 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 3: that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases threaten public health 12 00:00:56,600 --> 00:01:00,320 Speaker 3: and welfare. But Trump says it's all a scam. 13 00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 2: Don't worry about it because it has nothing to do 14 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:04,200 Speaker 2: with public health. 15 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:06,759 Speaker 1: This was all a scam, giant scam. 16 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 3: Former EPA administrator Gena McCarthy says the endangerment finding wasn't 17 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:15,480 Speaker 3: a political decision. It was the result of a Supreme 18 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:19,680 Speaker 3: Court ruling that ordered the EPA to conduct an extensive 19 00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:23,959 Speaker 3: scientific process to review whether climate change was a hazard 20 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:25,280 Speaker 3: to health and the environment. 21 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:29,880 Speaker 4: They are trying to make us think that the endangerment 22 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 4: finding it can be nullified just because they wanted to, 23 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:39,280 Speaker 4: not because the science says so. Are the laws allowed 24 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:40,039 Speaker 4: this to happen. 25 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 3: Environmental scientists and experts say that revoking the finding could 26 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:50,040 Speaker 3: have generational impacts and may speed up the negative effects 27 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 3: of climate change. Attorneys general representing Blue states, environmental groups, 28 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 3: and healthcare groups say they're planning to sue over the revocation. 29 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 3: Joining me is Michael Gerard, a professor at Columbia Law 30 00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 3: School and director of the Saban Center for Climate Change Law. 31 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:09,639 Speaker 3: Will you explain the endangerment finding? 32 00:02:10,480 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 5: So? 33 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:13,600 Speaker 1: The Supreme Court said in two thousand and seven that 34 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 1: if EPA finds that greenhouse gases posed an endangerment to 35 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 1: public health and welfare, EPA has the authority to regulate 36 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 1: them under the Clean Air Act. In two thousand and nine, 37 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 1: EPA issued that endangerment finding, and since then, especially under 38 00:02:30,320 --> 00:02:34,800 Speaker 1: Presidents Obama and Biden, EPA has been regulated greenhouse gas emissions. 39 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:38,000 Speaker 3: What are their reasons for rescinding the endangerment finding? 40 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:42,639 Speaker 1: They said that it was beyond the authority of EPA 41 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 1: actually to be doing this to be regulating greenhouse gases, 42 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:50,480 Speaker 1: even though the Supreme Court said they could do that. 43 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:55,240 Speaker 1: Now the Trump administration is saying, no, they can't, that 44 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 1: it's such a big issue, an important issue. THATA does 45 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:03,320 Speaker 1: and have the authority in less. Congress explicitly says that 46 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 1: they can do that. 47 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 3: And what's the real reason, I mean, what's the reason 48 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 3: behind the Trump administration rescinding it. 49 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 1: The Trump administration is all about maximizing the demand for 50 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 1: and the supply of fossil fuels. Regulation of greenhouse gas 51 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:19,280 Speaker 1: emissions gets in the way of that, and so the 52 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:23,280 Speaker 1: particular regulations they're most focused on were moving toward more 53 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:26,720 Speaker 1: electric vehicles, which are the main source, the main threat 54 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:29,360 Speaker 1: to the demand for oil. President Trump says he doesn't 55 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:31,880 Speaker 1: really believe that climate change is happening, or that it's 56 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:34,360 Speaker 1: caused by humans, or that it's very bad. So I 57 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:36,760 Speaker 1: think that's one of the reasons behind what they're doing. 58 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:39,120 Speaker 1: And they think it's bad for the economy to fight 59 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:40,040 Speaker 1: climate change. 60 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:47,000 Speaker 3: How long have scientists been convinced that greenhouse gas emissions 61 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 3: caused by humans hurt the public's health. 62 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:54,040 Speaker 1: The first science on this was emerging in the late 63 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:57,240 Speaker 1: nineteenth century. But I would say, it's fair to say 64 00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 1: that by the late nineteen eighties or early nineteen ninety 65 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:05,720 Speaker 1: there was a general scientific consensus about the science of 66 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:10,120 Speaker 1: climate change. When EPA issued the Endangerment Finding in nineteen 67 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:13,440 Speaker 1: eighty nine, there was a ton of evidence. There's now 68 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:16,479 Speaker 1: ten tons of evidence about climate change. 69 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:21,880 Speaker 3: Is the Endangerment Finding considered sort of the keystone for 70 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:27,479 Speaker 3: our environmental regulations? In other words, everything else depends or 71 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 3: rests on it. 72 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:32,920 Speaker 1: Everything that EPA does under the Clean Air Act depends 73 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:36,159 Speaker 1: on the Engagement Finding. There's some other authorities that the 74 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 1: administration has, but it's it's certainly by far the most 75 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:39,920 Speaker 1: important one. 76 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 3: Have they gone through the proper procedures for revoking the 77 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:45,640 Speaker 3: Endangerment Finding? 78 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:49,280 Speaker 1: Well, they did an out say draft plan, and they 79 00:04:49,279 --> 00:04:53,520 Speaker 1: opened it up for public comment, and they then issued 80 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:55,960 Speaker 1: the final one. So in broad strokes, I'm sure there 81 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 1: will be challenges to some of the details of the 82 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 1: procedures that they use, such as did they respond in 83 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:05,840 Speaker 1: enough detailed all the many public comments that were provided. 84 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:10,240 Speaker 3: The now disbanded Climate Working Group that wrote the report 85 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:14,840 Speaker 3: was deemed unlawful in January by a Massachusetts federal court 86 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:17,719 Speaker 3: because the group met in secret does that have any 87 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:24,080 Speaker 3: bearing on the legality of this recision of the endangerment finding. 88 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 1: EPA's initial proposal was to, among other things, rely on 89 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:34,360 Speaker 1: that report and otherwise say they don't believe climate science, 90 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:36,920 Speaker 1: or they don't believe that climate change is nearly as 91 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 1: bad of the report you mentioned, who was roundly debunked 92 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:45,440 Speaker 1: by the scientific community, including the National Academy of Sciences. 93 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:49,359 Speaker 1: A federal court, as you said, declared that the committee 94 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:53,719 Speaker 1: was unlawfully formed, but the Department of Energy disbanded the group, 95 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:56,720 Speaker 1: and in this new report, they do not rely on it, 96 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:59,440 Speaker 1: and they in fact don't deny the climate science. They're 97 00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:04,240 Speaker 1: issuing this decision without saying we are wrong that climate 98 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:07,159 Speaker 1: change is horrible. Okay, maybe it's horrible, but we just 99 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:09,560 Speaker 1: don't think it's a legal matter that EPA has the 100 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:10,720 Speaker 1: authority to regulate it. 101 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:17,760 Speaker 3: Democratic attorneys general, environmental advocacy groups, medical groups say they're 102 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:21,000 Speaker 3: going to sue over this revocation. Can you give us 103 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:23,520 Speaker 3: an idea of what the attack might be in the courts. 104 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:26,880 Speaker 1: So, in two thousand and seven, the Supreme Court issued 105 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:31,280 Speaker 1: this landmark decision Massachusetts versus EPA. They clearly said that 106 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:36,960 Speaker 1: greenhouse gases are air pollutants within the meaning of the statute, 107 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:40,400 Speaker 1: and that if EPA finds the danger, they have to regulate. 108 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 1: The administration is now going contrary to that. They're relying 109 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:49,839 Speaker 1: on some new legal doctrines, especially something called the major 110 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:53,600 Speaker 1: questions doctrine, that even if the words of the statute 111 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:57,400 Speaker 1: allow an agency to act, they can't unless Congress is 112 00:06:57,480 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 1: really really explicit if it's something of large economic and 113 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 1: political significance. So that's going to be one of the 114 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:06,320 Speaker 1: major arguments that will be made before the courts. 115 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:08,600 Speaker 3: Do you think the aim here is to get the 116 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:14,040 Speaker 3: Supreme Court to reverse its finding in that Massachusetts v. 117 00:07:14,200 --> 00:07:15,119 Speaker 3: EPA case. 118 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:18,960 Speaker 1: Yeah. I think that the Trump administration, or at least 119 00:07:18,960 --> 00:07:21,400 Speaker 1: some of its supporters, do want the Supreme Court to 120 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 1: either reverse the finding in the Massachusetts case or construe 121 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:29,640 Speaker 1: it very very narrowly so that it no longer means much. 122 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:33,120 Speaker 3: We're in year two of the Trump administration. Could the 123 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:36,720 Speaker 3: lawsuits outlive the administration. 124 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:40,320 Speaker 1: In the ordinary course at the first stage at the 125 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:43,480 Speaker 1: Court of Appeals, it could take easily a year you're 126 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:46,040 Speaker 1: in a half to get a decision, and then another 127 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 1: year or you're and a half to get a decision 128 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:52,239 Speaker 1: from the Supreme Court, so that could outlass the administration. However, 129 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:57,520 Speaker 1: it's also possible that the Supreme Court will take this 130 00:07:57,680 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 1: on an expedited basis, which they have done from time 131 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:04,040 Speaker 1: to time, in which case it could all happen much faster. 132 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:08,400 Speaker 3: And so, if it happens and the next administration to 133 00:08:08,520 --> 00:08:13,440 Speaker 3: come in is democratic administration or an administration that believes 134 00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:16,320 Speaker 3: in climate science, et cetera, et cetera, would it be 135 00:08:16,400 --> 00:08:18,960 Speaker 3: easy or difficult to sort of put it back together. 136 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 1: That depends on the way the Supreme Court rules. There 137 00:08:21,760 --> 00:08:25,400 Speaker 1: are some ways that the Supreme Court could uphold what 138 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:28,680 Speaker 1: Trump is doing, but not do it so broadly that 139 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:31,520 Speaker 1: it would prevent the next administration from acting. There are 140 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:34,520 Speaker 1: other ways that they could uphold the withdrawal of the 141 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:38,160 Speaker 1: engangement finding. That would mean the administration could not use 142 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:41,880 Speaker 1: the Clean Air Act for climate change unless they get 143 00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 1: explicit authorization from Congress. 144 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:49,240 Speaker 3: Will this affect the state's ability to regulate pollution? 145 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:54,280 Speaker 1: The federal government has exclusive authority to regulate motor vehicle 146 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:57,480 Speaker 1: emissions unless Congress gets a special waiver, which has been 147 00:08:57,559 --> 00:09:01,679 Speaker 1: taken away. However, the states have comple control over stationary 148 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:05,360 Speaker 1: sources like power plants and factories and so forth. So 149 00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:08,280 Speaker 1: this does not affect the ability of states to have 150 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:12,120 Speaker 1: stronger pollution controls on everything but motor vehicles. 151 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:16,520 Speaker 3: This could turn out to be a red state blue 152 00:09:16,559 --> 00:09:21,200 Speaker 3: state controversy, with the blue state suing and the red 153 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:26,720 Speaker 3: states supporting the administration's actions. Why should this be a 154 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:29,520 Speaker 3: blue state red state divide. 155 00:09:29,480 --> 00:09:32,120 Speaker 1: Well, it's a combination of things. They right now, the 156 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:35,920 Speaker 1: Republican Party, as a matter of its doctrine, doesn't believe 157 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:39,080 Speaker 1: in regulation of climate change, and the Democrats do. And 158 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:42,320 Speaker 1: so in all these lawsuits you have the red states 159 00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:44,120 Speaker 1: on one side and the blue states of the other. 160 00:09:44,320 --> 00:09:46,920 Speaker 1: I mean the underlying There are lots of different underlying reasons. 161 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:49,480 Speaker 1: Some of it is the economies of the state, some 162 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:53,280 Speaker 1: as some of its ideological reasons. That's a whole other conversation. 163 00:09:54,040 --> 00:09:56,800 Speaker 3: So it was the Saban Center that came out with 164 00:09:56,920 --> 00:10:01,240 Speaker 3: these stats that the EPA has already taken more than 165 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:07,240 Speaker 3: forty deregulatory actions so far in this second term, compared 166 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 3: to almost sixty during the first term. So are they 167 00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:11,520 Speaker 3: moving quicker. 168 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:14,480 Speaker 1: Yes, they are. They're being much more aggressive in the 169 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:17,800 Speaker 1: second Trump administration than in the First, we have a 170 00:10:17,840 --> 00:10:21,320 Speaker 1: website called the Climate Backtracker that keeps track of all 171 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:24,000 Speaker 1: of this. But Trump two is moving a good deal 172 00:10:24,080 --> 00:10:25,280 Speaker 1: faster than Trump one. 173 00:10:25,559 --> 00:10:28,600 Speaker 3: They're moving faster. Are a lot of their moves being 174 00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:30,720 Speaker 3: held up in court or not yet. 175 00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:33,800 Speaker 1: So a lot of their moves in cutting back on 176 00:10:33,920 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 1: funding have been held up in court and at the 177 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:40,200 Speaker 1: district court level, and some of that has been reversed 178 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:43,600 Speaker 1: by the appellic court, some of it hasn't here. Most 179 00:10:43,679 --> 00:10:47,680 Speaker 1: of their regulations substance of regulations as opposed to the 180 00:10:47,720 --> 00:10:51,560 Speaker 1: funding haven't gotten far enough along for there to be 181 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:54,640 Speaker 1: really litigation. This is one of the first things that 182 00:10:55,160 --> 00:10:57,240 Speaker 1: they have done that has gone all the way through 183 00:10:57,280 --> 00:11:00,880 Speaker 1: the rulemaking process and now is ripe for On. 184 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:04,160 Speaker 3: A scale of one to ten in terms of damage 185 00:11:04,160 --> 00:11:07,600 Speaker 3: to the environment, how would you rate the seriousness of 186 00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:08,640 Speaker 3: this revocation? 187 00:11:09,559 --> 00:11:12,720 Speaker 1: I'd probably give that an eight, because if it survives, 188 00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 1: it does take away the Clean Air Act. But there 189 00:11:15,360 --> 00:11:17,360 Speaker 1: are still other tools that can be used to fight 190 00:11:17,360 --> 00:11:21,160 Speaker 1: climate change. Despite the opposition by the Trump administration, people 191 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:24,040 Speaker 1: are still opening a lot of solar farms and wind farms, 192 00:11:24,040 --> 00:11:27,160 Speaker 1: and buying electric vehicles and doing lots of other improving 193 00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:30,640 Speaker 1: energy efficiency, doing lots of other things that also help 194 00:11:30,679 --> 00:11:33,400 Speaker 1: fight climate change wholly apart from the Clean Air Act? 195 00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:39,240 Speaker 3: Is the footprint of the EPA smaller? Is the staff smaller? 196 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:41,839 Speaker 3: In other words, is the EPA shrinking? 197 00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:49,240 Speaker 1: Yes, EPA is shrinking, so are the is the environmental 198 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:52,680 Speaker 1: unit in the Department of Justice which helps enforce the laws. 199 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:57,040 Speaker 1: So the Trump administration has worked very hard to diminish 200 00:11:57,120 --> 00:12:01,559 Speaker 1: the effectiveness and size authority of EPA. 201 00:12:01,679 --> 00:12:05,280 Speaker 3: Thanks for joining me today. That's Professor Michael Gerard of 202 00:12:05,320 --> 00:12:08,439 Speaker 3: Columbia Law School. He's the director of the Saban Center 203 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:11,679 Speaker 3: for Climate Change Law. Suing people is not new for 204 00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:15,920 Speaker 3: President Trump. Long before he became president, he used litigation 205 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:20,440 Speaker 3: as a tool, filing at least sixteen hundred civil lawsuits 206 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:24,680 Speaker 3: against individuals and businesses, and since taking office for the 207 00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:29,000 Speaker 3: second time, Trump has filed suits seeking billions of dollars 208 00:12:29,280 --> 00:12:33,040 Speaker 3: against several news organizations, including The New York Times and 209 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:37,080 Speaker 3: The Wall Street Journal, JP Morgan Chase and its CEO, 210 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:41,680 Speaker 3: Jamie Diamond. The pullets are Board, and even the IRS 211 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:45,079 Speaker 3: and the Treasury. Now, when Trump was sued by two 212 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:48,680 Speaker 3: co founders of his social media company, he asked a 213 00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:52,000 Speaker 3: Delaware Court to either dismiss the case or delay it 214 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:55,679 Speaker 3: by four years, saying that having to defend the lawsuits 215 00:12:55,720 --> 00:12:59,839 Speaker 3: would be a distraction from his presidential duties, even though 216 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:04,560 Speaker 3: turnabout is supposedly fair play. That argument hasn't worked for 217 00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:07,960 Speaker 3: the defendants being sued by Trump. So far, at least, 218 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:11,680 Speaker 3: no court has delayed one of Trump's lawsuits because it 219 00:13:11,679 --> 00:13:15,839 Speaker 3: would distract from his presidential duties. Joining me is constitutional 220 00:13:15,920 --> 00:13:19,400 Speaker 3: law expert David Super, a professor at Georgetown Law. 221 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:20,600 Speaker 2: Have we had a. 222 00:13:20,559 --> 00:13:24,840 Speaker 3: President before that's filed lawsuits? I mean, in so many 223 00:13:24,880 --> 00:13:28,920 Speaker 3: different areas. It's against media companies, it's against banks, it's 224 00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:32,800 Speaker 3: against the irs. It's a broad range. 225 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:37,040 Speaker 6: It certainly is, And I am not aware of any 226 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:42,840 Speaker 6: president that has found time to litigate while in office. 227 00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:47,640 Speaker 6: It's a rather big job. And presidents also, I think, 228 00:13:47,679 --> 00:13:53,760 Speaker 6: have been sensitive that litigating while their president could send 229 00:13:53,800 --> 00:13:57,880 Speaker 6: the wrong signals and interfere with their ability to lead 230 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:03,400 Speaker 6: the whole country. Trump has not embraced the idea of 231 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:09,040 Speaker 6: leading the whole country, so doing more partisan litigation has 232 00:14:09,679 --> 00:14:12,000 Speaker 6: seemed to fit better with his approach. 233 00:14:12,559 --> 00:14:15,360 Speaker 3: The last case that I remember was the Clinton case. 234 00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:18,559 Speaker 3: What kind of protection if any does the president have 235 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:21,600 Speaker 3: against civil suits while in office? 236 00:14:21,880 --> 00:14:25,800 Speaker 6: The president's very little protection against civil suits. The Supreme 237 00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:27,960 Speaker 6: Court in Clinton. 238 00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:33,520 Speaker 5: Versus Jones upind that the president probably could do at 239 00:14:33,600 --> 00:14:37,520 Speaker 5: least the basics of defending a case while in office, 240 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:39,960 Speaker 5: and allowed that case to proceed. 241 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:43,640 Speaker 6: That case started the series of events that led to 242 00:14:43,760 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 6: President Clinton's impeachment and certainly caused him enormous political damage. 243 00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:53,560 Speaker 6: Whether Miss Jones was seeking to damage in politically or not, 244 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:58,560 Speaker 6: it's not clear, but that others eagerly piled on were so. 245 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:04,400 Speaker 6: In principle, it is not entitled to sweeping immunity. But 246 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:10,400 Speaker 6: President Trump has claimed that defending lawsuits would be unduly 247 00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:15,040 Speaker 6: burdensome to him now that he's president. It's not clear, though, 248 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:18,720 Speaker 6: how it's any less burdensome to bring a lawsuit than 249 00:15:18,760 --> 00:15:23,400 Speaker 6: to defend one, and he seems to be making special 250 00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:24,680 Speaker 6: rules just for himself. 251 00:15:25,040 --> 00:15:27,000 Speaker 3: I don't know that we've reached the point in any 252 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:31,520 Speaker 3: of these lawsuits where Trump has said, no, I can't 253 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:35,160 Speaker 3: do that deposition because I'm president and I'm too busy. 254 00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:38,400 Speaker 3: But if that happens, what can a judge do? 255 00:15:38,840 --> 00:15:42,800 Speaker 6: The judge can dismiss the lawsuit, although at this point, 256 00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:46,360 Speaker 6: the defendants will already have had to spend an enormous 257 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:49,040 Speaker 6: amount of money the laws. It may already have served 258 00:15:49,040 --> 00:15:53,360 Speaker 6: its purpose of intimidation. Some of these lawsuits have no 259 00:15:53,560 --> 00:15:57,760 Speaker 6: chance of winning anyway. He's suing news organizations for news 260 00:15:57,760 --> 00:16:01,880 Speaker 6: stories that doesn't like. He's suing the Des Moines Register 261 00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:07,920 Speaker 6: for a poll and a projection that he doesn't like. 262 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:10,240 Speaker 6: I don't even know what cause of action that is. 263 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:13,960 Speaker 6: So these cases are not intended to win. They're intended 264 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:18,240 Speaker 6: to intimidate. So filing them, forcing the defendants to spend 265 00:16:18,280 --> 00:16:22,880 Speaker 6: resources on them, rallying his base against the defendants, and 266 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:26,360 Speaker 6: then eventually dismissing them when he doesn't want to be 267 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:31,359 Speaker 6: deposed seems likely. Here the courts have authority to impose 268 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:35,160 Speaker 6: costs on him, but that's probably not that much of 269 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:35,800 Speaker 6: a deterrent. 270 00:16:36,680 --> 00:16:39,200 Speaker 3: I mean, there's also the fact that when you're sued 271 00:16:39,440 --> 00:16:43,000 Speaker 3: by the president, there are different kinds of pressures. So 272 00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:48,640 Speaker 3: you had ViacomCBS settling a lawsuit, and of course they 273 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:50,920 Speaker 3: had a pending merger to be approved. 274 00:16:51,640 --> 00:16:55,000 Speaker 6: Yes, and this is in the context of the president's 275 00:16:55,120 --> 00:17:00,720 Speaker 6: unified executive theory, So in priorated ministrations this happened that 276 00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:04,520 Speaker 6: if an add you could imagine the president saying, well, 277 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:07,880 Speaker 6: the people making the decision on your merger are independent 278 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:11,120 Speaker 6: from me, so they won't be influenced. But this administration 279 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:14,119 Speaker 6: has made the point that everybody in the executive branch 280 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:18,000 Speaker 6: must be completely tuned in with the president's preference. So 281 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:23,160 Speaker 6: when he sues or threatens to sue a media organization 282 00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:28,479 Speaker 6: that wants permission for a merger or for licenses of 283 00:17:28,520 --> 00:17:32,719 Speaker 6: some kind, he is effectively telling them that they need 284 00:17:32,840 --> 00:17:36,600 Speaker 6: to give him something in exchange for those licenses. It 285 00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:41,960 Speaker 6: is a way of supposedly legitimating or legalizing bribe. 286 00:17:42,600 --> 00:17:45,119 Speaker 3: Why shouldn't some of these cases be put on hold 287 00:17:45,320 --> 00:17:49,520 Speaker 3: until Trump's term is over? None of the judges have 288 00:17:49,800 --> 00:17:55,120 Speaker 3: allowed any of these cases to be suspended during his presidency. 289 00:17:56,200 --> 00:17:59,280 Speaker 6: Well, it is true for both the president and people 290 00:17:59,320 --> 00:18:02,680 Speaker 6: with Thames against the president, the statutes of limitations run. 291 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:07,080 Speaker 6: So there's an argument that the president and private party 292 00:18:07,119 --> 00:18:10,879 Speaker 6: should be allowed to file suits, but there should be 293 00:18:11,640 --> 00:18:16,639 Speaker 6: then a freeze on the case until after the president 294 00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:22,040 Speaker 6: leaves office, having the cases go forward selectively, having the 295 00:18:22,080 --> 00:18:27,639 Speaker 6: president able to extract material and resources from defendants but 296 00:18:27,880 --> 00:18:33,800 Speaker 6: not provide the same himself is manifestly unfair and civil 297 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:38,160 Speaker 6: litigation with rare exception is designed to treat both parties 298 00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:40,480 Speaker 6: equally until we have a resolution of the case. 299 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:43,119 Speaker 3: So you mentioned he's suing the IRS. He and his 300 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:47,159 Speaker 3: two eldest sons filed a lawsuit against the IRS and 301 00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:50,679 Speaker 3: the Treasury seeking at least ten billion dollars in damages 302 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:57,000 Speaker 3: for the unauthorized disclosure of their confidential tax returns, and 303 00:18:57,119 --> 00:19:01,160 Speaker 3: in an amicus brief challenging the suit, group of former 304 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:05,239 Speaker 3: high ranking government officials said it contains legal flaws and 305 00:19:05,400 --> 00:19:09,479 Speaker 3: risks becoming conclusive litigation. As the president is suing the 306 00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:14,000 Speaker 3: government he presides over, this suit hit me as the 307 00:19:14,040 --> 00:19:17,480 Speaker 3: most inappropriate. Is the IRS going to fight the president? 308 00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:22,040 Speaker 6: No? Again, The unified executive theory says that the president 309 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:26,280 Speaker 6: absolutely controls the defense against the president's own case. There's 310 00:19:26,359 --> 00:19:30,640 Speaker 6: no way this case can be legitimately litigated now, even 311 00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:34,840 Speaker 6: if someone wanted to, and if it is litigated to judgment, 312 00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:38,800 Speaker 6: a future administration could quite properly demand that the case 313 00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:43,240 Speaker 6: be reopened and then any damage award be reversed and returned, 314 00:19:43,680 --> 00:19:47,760 Speaker 6: because there will not be any true adversy here, just 315 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:53,840 Speaker 6: as when a prosecution is filed by someone who is 316 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:59,919 Speaker 6: controlled by the defendant and they throw the case and lose, 317 00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:02,920 Speaker 6: or when the jury was tampered with by the defendant, 318 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:06,280 Speaker 6: double jeopardy does not attach because there is never any 319 00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:10,080 Speaker 6: serious risk of losing. In the same way here, the 320 00:20:10,119 --> 00:20:15,720 Speaker 6: president's judgment would not be entitled to any weight because 321 00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:20,800 Speaker 6: he controls the defense and never has any possibility of 322 00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:22,040 Speaker 6: losing these cases. 323 00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:25,520 Speaker 3: The other thing in all these cases, particularly HRS case, 324 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:28,600 Speaker 3: is that how does he prove damages when his net 325 00:20:28,640 --> 00:20:31,280 Speaker 3: worth has increased since he became president. 326 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:36,200 Speaker 6: These cases are absurd on the merits. You don't need 327 00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:40,119 Speaker 6: to know much about them to know that they are ridiculous. 328 00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:46,280 Speaker 6: There's also serious questions about how he could show fault. 329 00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:50,199 Speaker 6: The president again claims he runs the entire executive branch, 330 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:54,600 Speaker 6: who was president when these leaks occurred. Why he was 331 00:20:55,320 --> 00:21:01,560 Speaker 6: so Perhaps he ought to sue literally himself for mismanaging 332 00:21:02,119 --> 00:21:06,919 Speaker 6: the federal government during his first term. He's probably can 333 00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:11,520 Speaker 6: afford to pay himself whatever damages are appropriate. Here, the 334 00:21:11,560 --> 00:21:17,880 Speaker 6: case is completely ridiculous, and one might be tempted to 335 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:21,879 Speaker 6: look for an exception if the case was completely compelling. 336 00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:27,000 Speaker 6: The claim that Paula Jones filed against Bill Clinton. On 337 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:31,359 Speaker 6: its face was a serious claim, a plausible claim, and 338 00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:34,919 Speaker 6: you could understand why she would need to file it 339 00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:38,879 Speaker 6: before the statute of limitations expired. If someone were to 340 00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:45,200 Speaker 6: do something conventionally harmful to the president, to steal his 341 00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:48,400 Speaker 6: car or something like that, then you could imagine why 342 00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:51,680 Speaker 6: he might need to go to court. But these cases 343 00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:53,080 Speaker 6: are obviously absurd. 344 00:21:53,520 --> 00:21:55,520 Speaker 3: I don't think I've ever used the word unseemly, but 345 00:21:55,560 --> 00:21:58,880 Speaker 3: I was trying to think of how unseemly it is 346 00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:01,960 Speaker 3: for the President of the United States to be suing 347 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:05,680 Speaker 3: so often for billions of dollars. It's sort of hard 348 00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:09,320 Speaker 3: to comprehend why, except that he's trying to make a 349 00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:12,080 Speaker 3: political point with these I mean suing, as you said, 350 00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:15,000 Speaker 3: the Des Moines Register for a poll that didn't turn 351 00:22:15,040 --> 00:22:17,480 Speaker 3: out to be right. If every politician sued over a 352 00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:19,840 Speaker 3: pole that didn't turn out to be right, the court 353 00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:21,160 Speaker 3: to be clogged. 354 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:24,120 Speaker 6: And both Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris would be very, 355 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:28,800 Speaker 6: very rich to say how they know Thomas Dewey. But 356 00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:32,040 Speaker 6: the problem people have I'm not trying to understand this. 357 00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:36,000 Speaker 6: I'm looking for American parallels, and that's wrong. They should 358 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:41,040 Speaker 6: look for international parallels because authoritarian leaders routinely use litigation 359 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:44,720 Speaker 6: to silence the press. You see this in numerous countries 360 00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:49,240 Speaker 6: around the world, where media outlets simply cease to function 361 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:53,960 Speaker 6: because they know they'll be sued by the administration and 362 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:56,960 Speaker 6: they will lose and they will be bankrupted. So they 363 00:22:57,040 --> 00:23:00,160 Speaker 6: either never write about the administration or they move out 364 00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:04,679 Speaker 6: of the country or the fold. And this country is 365 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:09,000 Speaker 6: following some very unfortunate precedents overseas. Just one more thing. 366 00:23:09,359 --> 00:23:12,960 Speaker 6: The Constitution says the president shall draw a salary at 367 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:17,440 Speaker 6: regular intervals and shall not receive any further emoluments from 368 00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:22,800 Speaker 6: the States or the United States. And the term emoluments 369 00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:26,640 Speaker 6: has been hotly debated, but broadly speaking, they're saying the 370 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:29,760 Speaker 6: president should work for a salary and a salary only. 371 00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:34,240 Speaker 6: This is effectively a way of getting more money into 372 00:23:34,280 --> 00:23:37,919 Speaker 6: the president's hand, which the framers very much did not 373 00:23:38,080 --> 00:23:40,840 Speaker 6: want to happen. They wanted the president focused on the 374 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:45,440 Speaker 6: national good. And certainly, when he sues a justice department 375 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:49,480 Speaker 6: that he controls, he's increasing his pay. But when he 376 00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:55,000 Speaker 6: sues entities that need his executive brands to give them favors, 377 00:23:55,040 --> 00:24:00,080 Speaker 6: he's also increasing his pay, and that's something the framer 378 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:02,640 Speaker 6: were acutely aware of. And forhibot It. 379 00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:06,320 Speaker 3: I've been talking to constitutional law professor David super of 380 00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:12,520 Speaker 3: Georgetown Law. So the Solicitor General's Office during this second 381 00:24:13,080 --> 00:24:18,480 Speaker 3: Trump term is filing unsolicited briefs. In other words, in 382 00:24:18,520 --> 00:24:22,040 Speaker 3: the process of the Supreme Court deciding whether or not 383 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:24,720 Speaker 3: to take a case or not, they're filing these briefs. 384 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:29,040 Speaker 3: They're not really on areas that the United States or 385 00:24:29,080 --> 00:24:33,040 Speaker 3: federal government is implicated, and they're on like policy matters, 386 00:24:33,119 --> 00:24:36,879 Speaker 3: like they're doing it more than any other administration. What 387 00:24:36,960 --> 00:24:37,639 Speaker 3: are they up to? 388 00:24:38,280 --> 00:24:43,600 Speaker 6: The Lesser General's Office regards the Supreme Court as profoundly 389 00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:46,040 Speaker 6: sympathetic to their mission and they're trying to get the 390 00:24:46,080 --> 00:24:49,439 Speaker 6: most possible out of it. This is not something that 391 00:24:49,640 --> 00:24:54,280 Speaker 6: happened in the nineteen sixties, when the War in Court 392 00:24:55,000 --> 00:25:00,760 Speaker 6: was relatively liberal and we had a liberal It was 393 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:04,080 Speaker 6: understood that the Court handled what it wanted to handle, 394 00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:07,439 Speaker 6: and there are many cases that were presented to the 395 00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:10,760 Speaker 6: War in Court that it didn't take that history could 396 00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:14,600 Speaker 6: be very different if it had taken. This administration doesn't 397 00:25:14,640 --> 00:25:19,639 Speaker 6: want to do the reverse. It has a majority that 398 00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:23,439 Speaker 6: has proven very cohesive and quite reliable for them on 399 00:25:23,560 --> 00:25:26,679 Speaker 6: all but a very small handful of issues, and is 400 00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:32,520 Speaker 6: trying to move the ideological framework of law in its direction. 401 00:25:33,280 --> 00:25:36,239 Speaker 3: I read some people saying, well, the administration might be 402 00:25:36,359 --> 00:25:38,840 Speaker 3: using up its capital with the Court, but I don't 403 00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:42,200 Speaker 3: know if that's possible with this administration and this court 404 00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:43,680 Speaker 3: with the six Conservatives. 405 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:48,560 Speaker 6: Yeah, I think what they're doing here is trying to 406 00:25:48,680 --> 00:25:52,040 Speaker 6: get cases pulled out of the pile. The Supreme Court 407 00:25:52,119 --> 00:25:56,480 Speaker 6: gets an enormous number of cases, and there certainly are 408 00:25:56,800 --> 00:26:01,200 Speaker 6: four votes out of the six Conservatives to brant review 409 00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:06,680 Speaker 6: on any number of things that will advance the conservative agenda. 410 00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:10,440 Speaker 6: This lesser general, I think, is trying to weigh in 411 00:26:10,720 --> 00:26:13,879 Speaker 6: and identify cases that it wants special attention to, and 412 00:26:13,920 --> 00:26:17,800 Speaker 6: it's been fairly successful. If it was using up its 413 00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:20,840 Speaker 6: capital with the Supreme Court, you would expect the Court 414 00:26:21,240 --> 00:26:25,880 Speaker 6: to turn down some of these cases as a caution 415 00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:29,360 Speaker 6: to the administration to stay and explain. But so far 416 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:33,200 Speaker 6: we've seen no indication that the Court is uncomfortable at all. 417 00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:38,600 Speaker 3: The Supreme Court has scheduled Friday, February twentieth as its 418 00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:43,600 Speaker 3: next opinion day. Amid this global weight for a ruling 419 00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:49,960 Speaker 3: that could invalidate most of President Trump's signature tariffs. The 420 00:26:50,080 --> 00:26:53,280 Speaker 3: tariff clash is one of twelve cases that were argued 421 00:26:53,320 --> 00:26:57,920 Speaker 3: in October or November and haven't yet been decided. Why 422 00:26:57,920 --> 00:27:01,240 Speaker 3: do you think it's taking the justices so long to 423 00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:03,240 Speaker 3: come to a decision In this case. 424 00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:06,960 Speaker 6: The oral argument went terribly for the administration. I mean, 425 00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:11,280 Speaker 6: that's very clear. So I don't think there are five 426 00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:14,680 Speaker 6: votes to give them a win, and the next best 427 00:27:14,720 --> 00:27:20,240 Speaker 6: thing for them would be a delay. And the administration 428 00:27:20,440 --> 00:27:23,240 Speaker 6: has argued, both in public and to some extent of 429 00:27:23,320 --> 00:27:27,080 Speaker 6: the court that they need this power to extract concessions 430 00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:30,960 Speaker 6: from other countries. And there may well be justices who 431 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:34,359 Speaker 6: believe in the end they can't sustain this. But the 432 00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:39,400 Speaker 6: longer they give the administration this authority, the more it 433 00:27:39,480 --> 00:27:43,679 Speaker 6: can dissolve the tariffs as part of deals rather than 434 00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:44,480 Speaker 6: as a judgment. 435 00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:49,040 Speaker 3: But it heard arguments November fifth on an expedited basis, 436 00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:53,800 Speaker 3: setting a schedule that suggested an ultra fast ruling might 437 00:27:53,880 --> 00:27:58,320 Speaker 3: be in the offing. Obviously it wasn't, but all we 438 00:27:58,359 --> 00:28:01,359 Speaker 3: can do is wait and see. Thanks so much. That's 439 00:28:01,359 --> 00:28:05,159 Speaker 3: Professor David super of Georgetown Law. And that's it for 440 00:28:05,240 --> 00:28:07,880 Speaker 3: this edition of The Bloomberg Law Show. Remember you can 441 00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:11,159 Speaker 3: always get the latest legal news on our Bloomberg Law podcasts. 442 00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:14,440 Speaker 3: You can find them on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and at 443 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:19,639 Speaker 3: www dot bloomberg dot com slash podcast Slash Law, And 444 00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:22,760 Speaker 3: remember to tune into The Bloomberg Law Show every weeknight 445 00:28:22,840 --> 00:28:26,320 Speaker 3: at ten pm Wall Street Time. I'm June Grosso and 446 00:28:26,359 --> 00:28:27,840 Speaker 3: you're listening to Bloomberg