The Crisis Deepens: Congress Must Act Now to Address Escalating Abuses of Executive Power

Read the full report here.

REPORT

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

On December 18, 2025, the New York City Bar Association (City Bar) issued a comprehensive report (“December Report”) summarizing the gross abuses of presidential power and breach of the public trust by President Donald J. Trump and his Administration during the first ten months of his current Presidential term.[1]  We said in that report that we would continue to monitor such actions by the President and his Administration going forward, and we do so now.

As shown in the December Report, these abuses of power and breach of public trust reach virtually every core responsibility of the presidency—from commanding the armed forces and enforcing the laws to safeguarding the health, safety, and welfare of the American people.

Specifically, the December Report described in detail President Trump’s abuses of executive power in six principal areas of Constitutional responsibility:

First, the President abused his role as Commander-in-Chief by deploying federal troops and federalizing National Guard forces into American cities without lawful justification;

Second, the President and his Administration repeatedly undermined fundamental rights of individuals guaranteed by the Constitution and federal law;

Third, the President and his Administration systematically attacked judicial independence;

Fourth, the President and his Administration sought to undermine Congress’s constitutional role and to dismantle or disable Congressionally mandated agencies and programs;

Fifth, the President and his Administration compromised national security by engaging in unlawful uses of force and undermining international institutions; and

Sixth, the President used the Presidency for personal enrichment of himself and his family.

Because of the breadth, persistence and escalating nature of these abuses of executive authority, our December Report called on Congress to reclaim its role, and its power, as a co-equal branch of government and to use all available tools—including investigations, sanctions, legislation and impeachment—to assure accountability for the Presidential and Executive Branch abuses summarized in that Report. We also promised to continue to monitor events as they unfold and warned Congress “of all our nation has to lose by abdicating the roles and responsibilities of our tripartite government—with its separation of powers and its checks and balances—which was carefully designed to prevent despotism and rule by fear and fiat.” Although it is impossible for us to discuss every unauthorized action of this President, we here mention several of the more egregious actions he and his Administration have undertaken since our December Report and the date of this Update.

In the less than three months since our December Report, President Trump and his principal agents have accelerated their abuse of power and violation of public trust in at least five of the areas described above and, by so doing, have inflicted grave damage on the Constitutional rights, safety, well-being, and security of Americans. The question is no longer if, but when: Congress must act immediately to curb these abuses—including the illegal acts of aggression and unauthorized war against Iran launched on February 28, 2026—and hold those responsible to account.

These most recent abuses are particularly reflected in several on-going crises engineered by the President and his staff that reveal in the starkest terms the dangers posed to our nation.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (1)

I. MINNEAPOLIS (2)

II. UNDERMINING OUR NATION’S INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (7)

III. UNDERMINING VOTING RIGHTS AND FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS (9)

IV. CONTINUED ATTACKS ON JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE (10)

V. OTHER CONTINUING ABUSES (11)

A. Undermining DOJ and FBI Independence (11)

B. Punishing Free Speech (12)

C. Jeopardizing Public Health and the Environment (13)

D. Suppressing History (13)

E. Racism as Presidential Policy (14)

VI. CONGRESS MUST NOW ACT (15)

Read the full report here.