Marc Elias on Trump's Alleged Illegal Move Against Harvard and IRS

Trump's Alleged IRS Weaponization

• 🎯 Donald Trump is accused of directing the IRS to revoke Harvard University's tax-exempt status as political retribution.
• ⚖️ This action is described as a violation of a federal criminal law passed after Watergate, prohibiting the president from telling the IRS to audit individuals or organizations.
• 🚨 The post on Truth Social announcing this intention is considered evidence of a crime.

Supreme Court Precedent and Legal Loopholes

• 🏛️ The discussion highlights a Supreme Court ruling that suggests a president can commit criminal acts with impunity, creating a conflict with existing statutes.
• 🤔 The Supreme Court may have intended to solve a retrospective problem, not provide a permission structure for future crimes.
• ⚠️ Trump's willingness to flout the law is underestimated, viewing legal challenges as a starting point for further actions.

Broader Pattern of Abuse

• 📈 Within 7% of a potential second term, Trump is accused of going after law firms, media outlets, and overstepping executive authority.
• 🚫 He is also alleged to be impinging on Congress's authority and intimidating federal judges.
• 🎯 This pattern suggests a growing boldness in his actions.

The Importance of Collective Action

• 🤝 Entities attacked by Trump must stand their ground and fight back to avoid emboldening him further.
• 📣 A call for collective action, such as a thousand universities uniting to support Harvard, is proposed as a way to counter Trump's power.
• 📉 Trump is characterized as a weak individual who backs down when faced with strong individuals and collective action.

Recourse and Accountability

• 🏛️ Harvard has due process rights and can challenge any IRS effort to revoke its tax-exempt status, which is legally well-established.
• ⏳ However, these legal processes take time and energy, during which Trump may target smaller institutions.
• ⚖️ The framers of the Constitution envisioned recourse against a lawless president through impeachment and removal by the legislative branch, not primarily the courts.
• 🗳️ With Republicans in Congress unlikely to act, the emphasis shifts to electing more Democrats in 2026 to provide Congress with tools to rein in Trump.
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