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WASHINGTON, DC 鈥擜 new NPR investigation has found that former President Donald Trump has made more than a hundred threats to investigate, prosecute, jail or otherwise punish his perceived opponents, including private citizens. Earlier this year, the ACLU released a roadmap detailing how the American Civil Liberties Union plans to fight back against the broad range of abuses of executive power posed by a possible second Trump administration 鈥� including the possibility that Trump would abuse presidential power to attack political opponents, protestors, dissenters, and journalists. Mike Zamore, national director of policy & government affairs at the ACLU, issued the following statement: 鈥淣o president is above the law. The White House does not exist for 鈥榤e the president鈥� 鈥� it exists for 鈥榳e the people.' Donald Trump has made no secret of his disregard for the rule of law and his intent to corrupt the immense powers of the federal government to target his opponents and break the institutions that could pose checks and balances to presidential power. In a second term, unleashed and feeling invulnerable from legal and political repercussions, he would pose an unprecedented challenge to our constitutional values. 鈥淎s our memos on what a second Trump administration could look like make clear: the ACLU is ready to defend our freedoms from any attempts to use the federal government to attack political opponents.鈥�

NEW YORK 鈥� The American Civil Liberties Union released the Trump on Surveillance, Protest, and Free Speech memo today as part of the organization鈥檚 2024 election policy memo series. Written by ACLU鈥檚 experts on the First Amendment, surveillance, and privacy, this memo offers a roadmap to fight back against the broad range of abuses of executive power posed by a possible second administration of former president Donald Trump. In an unprecedented threat to the foundations of our democracy, Trump and his supporters promise to criminalize dissent and stifle free speech, expand government surveillance, and target political opponents. The Trump on Surveillance, Protest, and Free Speech memo analyzes the threat posed by a second Trump administration and outlines how the ACLU and its nationwide network of attorneys and advocates will respond in the courts, Congress, and communities across the country. 鈥淭he ACLU has always worked to stop the executive branch from abusing its power at the expense of individual freedom and vulnerable communities. The Trump presidency, with its false declarations of national emergencies in service of discrimination and total disregard for the rule of law, demonstrated what we鈥檝e always known 鈥� that relying on unwritten norms for presidential behavior is grossly insufficient. Trump is now threatening to be even less constrained if given a second chance,鈥� said Cecillia Wang, deputy legal director of the ACLU. 鈥淚f there is a second Trump administration, we are prepared to defend people it attacks, including protestors, dissenters, and journalists.鈥� Based on Trump鈥檚 own campaign promises, his track record, and the detailed policy proposals of Project 2025, a second Trump administration would double down on these attacks on democracy, including by: Leveraging federal law enforcement for attacks on journalists and protestors to violate our First Amendment right to protest, including deployment of the military to 鈥渋nner cities鈥� to quell protests if he should win re-election. Exploiting the executive branch鈥檚 vast and unprecedented powers to spy on Americans鈥� lives with Big Brother surveillance of our data, using surveillance authorities like Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and Executive Order 12333, which could result in mass collection of private, sensitive data about Americans, in addition to purchasing massive quantities of data from commercial brokers. Targeting political opponents with investigations and prosecutions by ordering the Department of Justice and other governmental agencies to indict political opponents, engaging in retaliatory and discriminatory investigations, replacing civil servants and traditionally apolitical appointees with individuals willing to do his bidding, and demanding pledges of loyalty from civil service employees. The roadmap released today outlines the ACLU鈥檚 plan to protect our First and Fourth Amendment rights, including through: Litigation: The ACLU will defend protestors, journalists, and others who are subjected to abusive criminal prosecutions or other wrongful law enforcement and intelligence agency actions. Mobilizing Public Support on Federal Policy: The ACLU will push Congress to proactively limit potential abuses of executive power by narrowing the scope of the president鈥檚 power to order the military to quell lawful protest, limiting surveillance powers of the federal government, and strengthening oversight and firewalls against politically-motivated investigations and prosecutions. State and Local Advocacy: The ACLU will work with its network of affiliates across the country to pass strong data protection and shield laws, which will limit the reach of the federal government in their jurisdictions and safeguard the privacy of protesters, journalists, and others who may find themselves in the crosshairs of a vindictive presidential administration. 鈥淒onald Trump has made no secret of his disregard for the rule of law and his intent to corrupt the immense powers of the federal government to target his opponents and break the institutions that could pose checks and balances to presidential power. In a second term, unleashed and feeling invulnerable from legal and political repercussions, he would pose an unprecedented challenge to our constitutional values. But the ACLU is ready,鈥� said Mike Zamore, national director of policy and government affairs. 鈥淚f Trump is elected and comes for our First Amendment rights, we鈥檒l stand with the people of this country to defend our freedom.鈥� Trump on Surveillance, Protest, and Free Speech marks the sixth in a series of seven memos the ACLU is releasing leading up to the Republican National Convention next week. Other memos address immigration, LGBTQ rights, abortion, the criminal legal system, DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), and voting rights. Following its focus on policies of a potential second Trump administration, in the run-up to the Democratic National Convention next month, the ACLU will release another series of memos on what a second Biden presidency would mean for our civil rights and civil liberties.

A second Trump administration threatens to use executive authority to further limit First Amendment freedoms, surveil Americans and undermine democracy.