Dem senator says Trump 'seizures of power' have sparked 'constitutional crisis', calls to block all nominees

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., is arguing that President Donald Trump and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) person Elon Musk's actions represent "illegal seizures of power," sparking a "constitutional crisis." 

In an interrogation with National Public Radio, Murphy condemned efforts by the White House Office of Management and Budget to frost backing already approved by Congress, arsenic good arsenic the Trump medication moving to review, restructure and perchance abolish parts of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), arsenic thousands of national employees look lay-offs, and U.S. taxpayer-funded programs are suspended astir the globe. 

Murphy said Democrats should not enactment "a azygous nominee" appointed by Trump and "should not assistance expedited process to immoderate nominees until this situation passes." 

"I interest that the American nationalist is not going to emergence up against this seizure of powerfulness if they spot Democrats collaborating with Republicans connected the level of the Senate connected a regular ground to walk authorities oregon enactment nominees," Murphy said. "That's the indispensable happening that has to hap here. The radical of this state request to commencement showing up. And we saw that happening this weekend. I saw municipality halls for my colleagues packed to the gills. Yesterday, we did a property league extracurricular of USAID that indispensable person had 500 radical astatine it. But I deliberation you're going to commencement to spot radical drafting a enactment present that volition enactment unit connected Republicans." 

SECRETARY OF STATE RUBIO CONFIRMS BECOMING ACTING USAID CHIEF

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., speaks pursuing the Democrats' play argumentation luncheon astatine the U.S. Capitol gathering connected Jan. 21, 2025 successful Washington, D.C. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

The legislator said his Republican colleagues should besides consciousness unit to talk retired against the administration. 

"The absorption has to beryllium connected Republicans close present and wherefore they person been wholly and utterly silenced," Murphy said. "I bash not privation each of the unit to beryllium connected Democrats to fig this retired erstwhile Republicans should attraction conscionable arsenic overmuch astir ideology arsenic Democrats do."

"The president of the United States does not person the powerfulness unilaterally to suspend each national programs," Murphy said. "He surely does not person the powerfulness to suspend those programs and past determine connected his ain which entities get wealth and which don't. The president doesn't person the powerfulness to bash that due to the fact that that's an bonzer powerfulness to beryllium invested successful 1 person. The president could usage that powerfulness to nonstop wealth to his friends, to contradict wealth to his enemies, to nonstop wealth lone to Republican states and not to Democratic states. The founders thought that that was a corrupting powerfulness that 1 idiosyncratic should not have." 

Fox News Digital reached retired to the White House for comment, but they did not instantly respond.

President Donald Trump, accompanied by U.S. National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, takes a question from a newsman during a gathering with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu successful the Oval Office connected Feb. 4, 2025. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

USAID MISSIONS OVERSEAS ORDERED TO SHUT DOWN, STAFF BEING RECALLED: REPORT

Murphy besides accused Trump of being successful usurpation of tribunal orders by refusing to crook the spending backmost on. As for USAID, the legislator said Trump "has gone arsenic acold to fundamentally shutter the full agency, laying disconnected 60% of the radical successful galore bureaus, telling employees yesterday that nary of them should amusement up for work." 

"That is unconstitutional" the legislator said, speculating that Trump "may beryllium making a guess" that the U.S. Supreme Court volition springiness him the powerfulness to shutter agencies. 

Elon Musk is heading the Department of Government Efficiency. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

"I don't deliberation that we should conscionable fto the hyperbole beryllium connected the side, due to the fact that erstwhile radical perceive the President of the United States accidental that there's corruption astatine USAID. When they perceive Elon Musk accidental it's a transgression enterprise, and it goes uncontested by either the media oregon Democrats, they judge it. I mean, that's conscionable an outright lie," Murphy said. "So the president and his billionaire advisers are virtually making things up retired of bladed aerial due to the fact that they privation to prehend power of national authorities spending truthful that they tin reward their friends and Elon Musk's friends and punish their enemies truthful arsenic to suppress governmental dissent and destruct ideology successful this country. That's wherefore this is simply a law crisis." 

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"Right present our highest precedence is making definite that ideology survives this battle connected the Constitution," Murphy said. "I tin lone talk for myself. I can't archer you what each azygous Democrat is consenting to do. I'm not going to ballot for immoderate much nominees. We are besides vigorously pursuing tribunal actions to effort to unopen down galore of these amerciable seizures of power. And I bash deliberation truthful far, Republicans person not joined us. But if we are capable to muster existent nationalist sentiment against these seizures of power, I deliberation that that whitethorn beryllium capable to get Republicans to articulation america and connected galore of these nominations and pieces of authorities we yet don't need. 20 Republicans stay and conscionable a handful."