A Baltimore congressman is calling for the arrests of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.Since Trump took office for his second term, Democrats across the country have called him “authoritarian” or claimed he’s establishing an oligarchy in the nation’s capital.But U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume, D-District 7, took it a step further on Thursday, calling for the arrests of Trump and Musk on accusations they are violating the Constitution.Congressman defends, doubles down on his commentsMfume doubled down on those comments when speaking Friday with 11 News Investigates.”I think they’re both guilty of assault and battery on the Constitution,” Mfume said. “It may sound crazy or ludicrous, but they really are guilty of outright assault on the Constitution — assault and battery — and we deserve better than that.”Mfume said the president is violating Article I of the Constitution by taking powers that are reserved for Congress, like tariffs, and taking steps to dismantle the Department of Education, which was created by Congress. “We’re at a critical point right now, where people are being let go from jobs, where funds are being cut for research, where people are sick and can’t really get the kind of services they expected, and where kids, probably, are looking at this, wondering what is going on in this world?” Mfume told 11 News Investigates.The congressman, whose district encompasses portions of Baltimore County and most of Baltimore City, cited federal layoffs, funding cuts to research and cuts to services upon which people rely as reasons why the country is at a critical moment. Mfume said that’s what amounts to an assault on the Constitution.Video below: 11 News Investigates questions Mfume on his statement”So, every article that vests powers within the Congress has to be protected. Otherwise, we’re going to have a monarchy,” Mfume told 11 News Investigates.When asked by 11 News Investigates about those on the left who want Democrats to do more to push back against Trump, Mfume said: “Those of us here who are federal representatives have been in numerous efforts and working with workers across this country to speak out in rallies and demonstrations to push back. There have been almost 200 legal suits filed against this administration. So, that’s the pushback, and over 130 of them have been sustained through injunctions or temporary restraining orders.”Van Hollen: ‘No doubt that Donald Trump is violating the Constitution’U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, is unwilling to go as far as Mfume, but he did agree with him to say that Republican members of Congress have been spineless and have failed to defend the Constitution.”I have been very disappointed in Republicans in the Senate, the House, who have been absolutely AWOL when it comes to defending the Constitution, including Article I,” Van Hollen told 11 News Investigates. “There’s no doubt that Donald Trump is violating the Constitution.”When asked by 11 News Investigates whether it’s an appropriate escalation to call for the arrests of political opponents, Van Hollen said: “I’m focused on my approach here. My approach has been to fight this out in the courts. My view is all these issues, right now, are in the courts, and we need to make sure that we give them time to hold the president accountable.”Van Hollen told 11 News Investigates on Friday that the president needs to be held accountable, especially for defying the Supreme Court’s 9-0 ruling to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Maryland, where he had been living after entering the country illegally in 2011. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement admitted in a court filing in March that Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported to a prison in El Salvador due to an “administrative error.”The Supreme Court has ruled that presidents are protected from criminal prosecution for actions taken within an official capacity while in office.
A Baltimore congressman is calling for the arrests of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.
Since Trump took office for his second term, Democrats across the country have called him “authoritarian” or claimed he’s establishing an oligarchy in the nation’s capital.
But U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume, D-District 7, took it a step further on Thursday, calling for the arrests of Trump and Musk on accusations they are violating the Constitution.
Congressman defends, doubles down on his comments
Mfume doubled down on those comments when speaking Friday with 11 News Investigates.
“I think they’re both guilty of assault and battery on the Constitution,” Mfume said. “It may sound crazy or ludicrous, but they really are guilty of outright assault on the Constitution — assault and battery — and we deserve better than that.”
Mfume said the president is violating Article I of the Constitution by taking powers that are reserved for Congress, like tariffs, and taking steps to dismantle the Department of Education, which was created by Congress.
“We’re at a critical point right now, where people are being let go from jobs, where funds are being cut for research, where people are sick and can’t really get the kind of services they expected, and where kids, probably, are looking at this, wondering what is going on in this world?” Mfume told 11 News Investigates.
The congressman, whose district encompasses portions of Baltimore County and most of Baltimore City, cited federal layoffs, funding cuts to research and cuts to services upon which people rely as reasons why the country is at a critical moment. Mfume said that’s what amounts to an assault on the Constitution.
Video below: 11 News Investigates questions Mfume on his statement
“So, every article that vests powers within the Congress has to be protected. Otherwise, we’re going to have a monarchy,” Mfume told 11 News Investigates.
When asked by 11 News Investigates about those on the left who want Democrats to do more to push back against Trump, Mfume said: “Those of us here who are federal representatives have been in numerous efforts and working with workers across this country to speak out in rallies and demonstrations to push back. There have been almost 200 legal suits filed against this administration. So, that’s the pushback, and over 130 of them have been sustained through injunctions or temporary restraining orders.”
Van Hollen: ‘No doubt that Donald Trump is violating the Constitution’
U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, is unwilling to go as far as Mfume, but he did agree with him to say that Republican members of Congress have been spineless and have failed to defend the Constitution.
“I have been very disappointed in Republicans in the Senate, the House, who have been absolutely AWOL when it comes to defending the Constitution, including Article I,” Van Hollen told 11 News Investigates. “There’s no doubt that Donald Trump is violating the Constitution.”
When asked by 11 News Investigates whether it’s an appropriate escalation to call for the arrests of political opponents, Van Hollen said: “I’m focused on my approach here. My approach has been to fight this out in the courts. My view is all these issues, right now, are in the courts, and we need to make sure that we give them time to hold the president accountable.”
Van Hollen told 11 News Investigates on Friday that the president needs to be held accountable, especially for defying the Supreme Court’s 9-0 ruling to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Maryland, where he had been living after entering the country illegally in 2011. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement admitted in a court filing in March that Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported to a prison in El Salvador due to an “administrative error.”
The Supreme Court has ruled that presidents are protected from criminal prosecution for actions taken within an official capacity while in office.
