Op-ed: I’ve been battling the Trump administration for 11 months; Here’s what’s next

By Charity Clark
Attorney General
State of Vermont

Having sued the Trump administration 36 times in 11 months, I am reflecting on the wild ride of 2025 – and preparing for what’s next.

President Trump began his second term with a flurry of executive orders. The first executive orders – some of which were almost laughably shocking, such as attempts to rename the Gulf of Mexico – established on Inauguration Day that Project 2025 and the President’s “to do” list were one in the same.

Since that day, we have endured attempts to usurp the authority of governors, defy federal judges, and – repeatedly – ignore the wishes of Congress. Among the 36 lawsuits we filed in collaboration with two dozen other state attorneys general, the Trump administration repeatedly violated the U.S. Constitution, which I swore an oath to support, and federal law.

Through this chaotic, disruptive year, I committed to visiting communities to explain our work battling federal overreach and constitutional violations and answer your questions. As we close out the year, I have appeared at over 20 town hall forums.

On a personal level, these forums served as the most gratifying and rewarding highlights of my work this year. I heard from so many of you that, in our describing our work battling for our Constitution and our country, you were reassured. It wasn’t hope, but faith you felt. I will continue to deliver this faith, because I truly believe that, with the hard work of attorneys general and many others, our country will withstand these repeated affronts to our Constitution and our system of federalism.

I have been overwhelmed by thank you notes and words of support and gratitude. “Thank you,” I hear at the grocery store, at summer camp drop-off, at coffee shops. For the millionth time, I am so proud to be a Vermonter where people care about their communities, their neighbors, and their country. It is you who deserves thanks for your care and for your patriotism.

Although I believe we are experiencing a test we will pass, the most trying phase of President Trump’s second term is on the horizon: the congressional mid-term elections. Every single member of the House is up for re-election next year, and currently President Trump’s party governs with a razor-thin majority. Based on history, this narrow margin of majority, and the very low approval rating of President Trump, odds are good for Democrats to take back control in the House in 2026, just like they did in 2018. This would activate the body whose job is, in part, to check the power of the president. It would prevent harmful and destructive laws, like the One Big Beautiful Bill, from passing in the first place. The importance of Democrats taking back Congress can’t be overstated.

Of all that I have battled this year, the thing that keeps me up at night is my worry over the president undermining the integrity of the 2026 elections. From his executive orders, requests for election data, history as an election denier, and shocking social media statements, President Trump clearly does not believe our free and fair democratic elections are sacred.

It will be up to the rest of us to ensure the 2026 elections are fair. We are fortunate in Vermont to have a dedicated and experienced Secretary of State, Sarah Copeland Hanzas, overseeing our elections. I am proud to support Secretary Copeland Hanzas – and she is laser-focused on this issue. And our system of town clerks, justices of the peace, and election volunteers protects our elections.

As a Democrat, I have looked on with chagrin at the national Democratic Party’s struggle to inspire and mobilize Americans. It is time to recommit our focus on working people and freedom, and it is time to be problem solvers. Donald Trump has presented a tremendous challenge to political, social, and legal norms. We are the only ones who can save us.

Each one of us has a role to play. At our town hall forums, I encourage each Vermonter to stand up for our democracy. Exercise your fundamental rights and freedoms. Attend a protest. Write op-eds to your local paper, support the free press, and buy a banned book. Organize a carload of friends to go volunteer for a congressional race in a purple district. Donate to a local organization doing work that matters in your community.

This year, as I reviewed each case, I had an opportunity to revisit and reflect on our Constitution. I found in myself the patriotism and love of our country that burns brighter than the threat of tyranny we are facing. I want you to know that I am going to keep fighting for our country. I am putting my faith in it.