Arizona AG vows to oppose Trump on "unconstitutional" actions
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Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes vowed to use her office to oppose President-elect Trump if he takes actions that she deems unconstitutional. Photo: Jeremy Duda/Axios
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is among the ranks of Democratic state officials planning to fight President-elect Trump's agenda if he takes actions she deems unconstitutional.
The big picture: State Democratic officials in California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts and beyond reacted quickly to Trump's win last week by declaring their intent to challenge his administration.
- Mayes said during a Tuesday discussion with reporters that she's spoken with Democratic counterparts in other states and she "can't imagine a single Democratic attorney general in this country that won't be involved in fighting unconstitutional behavior."
State of play: Mayes said her staff has spent the past several months analyzing Project 2025, a 900-page presidential policy proposal for the Trump administration crafted by the conservative Heritage Foundation.
- "I do not believe, in electing Donald Trump, Arizona voters voted to shred the U.S. and Arizona constitutions. And if Donald Trump tries to do that, he'll have to go through me first," she said.
Reality check: Trump has tried to distance himself from Project 2025, which proposes a dramatic expansion of executive branch power.
Zoom in: Mayes highlighted abortion rights and immigration as two areas where her office could oppose Trump.
- She said she will fight efforts to restrict abortion rights.
- And she added that she'll draw the line at any attempt to reverse the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy and fight attempts to put migrant children in "cages" as part of another family separation policy.
- In the event of the mass deportations Trump campaigned on, Mayes said she'll protect Arizonans from attempts to circumvent due process.
What's next: Mayes noted that Democratic attorneys general successfully challenged the last Trump administration in court and said the party is "far more ready this year than we were in 2016."
- Yes, but: Until we see what actions Trump takes, it's unclear how and on what grounds Mayes and other Democratic state officials could challenge them.
Between the lines: Mayes said there are areas where Democrats can collaborate with Trump and Congress, which is expected to have Republican majorities in both chambers.
- She urged Trump to push through the bipartisan border bill he helped scuttle earlier this year, calling for more federal action to stop the flow of fentanyl into the U.S.
- And she called on the president-elect to triple Drug Enforcement Administration agents in Arizona.
The other side: The Trump campaign has repeatedly suggested such moves would thwart the will of the American people who support his agenda.
What to watch: The election won't dissuade Mayes from moving forward with her prosecution of the fake electors who falsely cast their votes for Trump after he lost the 2020 election in Arizona.
- Mayes said the grand jury wanted to indict Trump, along with about 30 members of the Legislature, but her office urged against it.
Meanwhile, Hobbs' spokesperson Christian Slater told Axios the governor is ready to work with Trump to grow the economy, create jobs, secure the border and ensure water access. "But she won't back down when Arizonans are under attack."
- "Governor Hobbs isn't afraid to stand up to bad ideas that harm Arizona communities, raise costs and threaten our democracy," Slater said.