No means no: an open letter to Donald Trump and Donald Trump enablers
Dear Donald Trump and Donald Trump enablers:
I’m a lawyer who swore an oath to champion the rule of law.
That’s why I’m being vocal in defending the rule of law on this platform and elsewhere.
I write to you from Canada 🇨🇦, your neighbour, a sovereign country, your biggest customer.
In Canada, the rule of law reigns.
That means the government obeys court orders.
It means the government doesn’t undermine the judiciary as an institution.
It means the government doesn’t seek retribution against lawyers and law firms who represent its political opponents or otherwise say or do things the government doesn’t like.
It means the government doesn’t try to intimidate judges.
It means if the government doesn’t like a court order, it appeals the order to a higher court.
It means the government still must obey the order it doesn’t like, unless the order is stayed by the court that issued it, or by a higher court.
It means if the appeals are exhausted and the government still doesn’t like the outcome, well, too bad so sad, come up with a lawful way to achieve your policy goals.
It means felons can’t hold elected office.
A system in which the above is not the case is called an autocracy, not a democracy.
Canada is a democracy.
Right now, you’ve got the United States on a runaway freight train to autocracy.
So it shouldn’t surprise you that Canada is categorically uninterested in joining your union.
We’re just not compatible.
Like the throngs of sycophants who kowtow to you, I could kiss your ring, then your feet, lie to your face and tell you that your “offer” to join you as your “cherished 51st state” (NB: there are 13 of us, so it would actually be 51st to 63rd with all the congressional seats and electoral college votes that go along with that, but I digress…) is appealing.
But it’s not at all appealing. It’s appalling.
It’s not you.
It’s us.
Us and our respect for the rule of law.
Us and our respect for democratic institutions.
Us and our respect for our allies and relationships.
Us and our respect for war heroes even when — especially when — they show up in our office looking more warroom than boardroom.
Us and our disgust at being propositioned by a Tony Soprano wannabe, throwing his weight around, telling us we’re “cherished” while holding an economic gun to our heads, safety off, finger on the trigger, and off again, and on again, and off again, and on again, repeat.
Us and our disbelief that Tony’s henchmen and disciples believe his fabrications that it’s our fault the gun is pointed at us and it will be our fault, too, if he shoots.
It’s never Tony’s fault, obviously, when Tony pulls the trigger.
Let me be crystal clear:
No.
Even staring down the barrel of an economic gun:
No.
Even staring down the barrel of another kind of gun:
No.
(By the way, no means no. Did you know?)
Regards,
A Canadian who rejects you unequivocally
#ElbowsUp
❤️ 🇨🇦
Appendix:
Listen to your country’s own (conservative!) Supreme Court Chief Justice. Your conduct is so outrageous, and so threatening of the rule of law and the constitutional order in the United States, that it prompted him to take the rare step of issuing a public statement. He does not mince words:
For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.
Statement by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, March 18, 2025
James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano with the cast of The Sopranos (photo source).