Res. No. 691

Resolution condemning President-elect Donald Trump for threatening the institutions and norms of democracy.

By Council Member Cabán

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.

LS #18000

12/10/24

EHC