Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) said Sunday on MSNBC’s “Ali Velshi” that the Trump administration was attempting to silence Congress and suspend the Constitution.
When asked about the arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka at the Delaney Hall Detention Center last week, Van Hollen said, “The assault that we’re witnessing right now is the Trump administration’s assault on the Constitution and due process rights, and in this case separation of powers and the ability of Congress to get the facts. We even had Stephen Miller, the other day, the president, one of his top advisers, talk about suspending the Constitution, suspending habeas corpus. And at the same time, we have the Trump administration ignoring the 9 to 0 order from The Supreme Court to facilitate the return of Abrego Garcia, the case that I’ve been involved with, among others.”
He continued, “So that’s what we’re witnessing here. They’re trying to intimidate people. They’re trying to silence people. So this is a moment that we all need to speak out even more strongly.”
Van Hollen added, “This is the tools of, you know, oppression and trying to intimidate is what the Trump administration is doing and it is a very slippery road toward authoritarianism. That is what we’re witnessing here when they block the legitimate efforts of members of Congress to conduct oversight and want to silence people.”
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