{"id":440,"date":"2026-01-05T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/?p=440"},"modified":"2026-05-13T15:27:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T19:27:32","slug":"ct-vs-us-tong-files-unprecedented-challenges-to-trump-actions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/05\/ct-vs-us-tong-files-unprecedented-challenges-to-trump-actions\/","title":{"rendered":"CT vs. US: Tong files \u2018unprecedented\u2019 challenges to Trump actions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut Attor\u00adney Gen\u00ader\u00adal William Tong speaks to a Uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut jour\u00adnal\u00adism stu\u00addents via video call on Oct. 14, 2025. Tong has joined 35 law\u00adsuits against the fed\u00ader\u00adal gov\u00adern\u00adment in the first nine months of Don\u00adald Trump\u2019s sec\u00adond term. Pho\u00adto by Con\u00adnor Sharp.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By Char\u00adlotte Har\u00advey
UConn Jour\u00adnal\u00adism<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut and oth\u00ader Demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic-led states filed an extra\u00ador\u00addi\u00adnary num\u00adber of law\u00adsuits against the fed\u00ader\u00adal gov\u00adern\u00adment in 2025, chal\u00adleng\u00ading the administration\u2019s actions and fight\u00ading for a vari\u00adety of caus\u00ades from clean air and drink\u00ading water to trans\u00adgen\u00adder rights to oppos\u00ading the weaponiza\u00adtion of the Depart\u00adment of Jus\u00adtice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of Dec. 1, 2025, Attor\u00adney Gen\u00ader\u00adal William Tong joined 39 law\u00adsuits against the fed\u00ader\u00adal admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion in the first nine months of Pres\u00adi\u00addent Don\u00adald Trump\u2019s sec\u00adond term \u2014 a pace of legal chal\u00adlenges that Tong said was unprece\u00addent\u00aded.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tong said that the admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion is try\u00ading to intim\u00adi\u00addate and prompt antic\u00adi\u00adpa\u00adto\u00adry com\u00adpli\u00adance among the states, and that the law\u00adsuits are nec\u00ades\u00adsary to pro\u00adtect Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut res\u00adi\u00addents and counter pow\u00ader grabs by the exec\u00adu\u00adtive branch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t set out to say, \u2018We\u2019re going to sue him every day so we can get up to 35 by Octo\u00adber,\u2019\u201d Tong said in an inter\u00adview. \u201cWe are com\u00adpelled to sue because there have been at least 35 \u2014 but many more \u2014 offens\u00ades to the Con\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtion, to our rule of law and the guardrails. All of these things have been so threat\u00adened in such a pro\u00adfound way that we\u2019ve had to act.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The law\u00adsuits by Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut and oth\u00ader states are part of a bat\u00adtle over fed\u00ader\u00adal\u00adism and polit\u00adi\u00adcal pow\u00ader, chal\u00adleng\u00ading the abil\u00adi\u00adty of the exec\u00adu\u00adtive branch to change laws and fund\u00ading deci\u00adsions made by Con\u00adgress and dis\u00adput\u00ading the reach of the fed\u00ader\u00adal government\u2019s author\u00adi\u00adty over states and their res\u00adi\u00addents.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The law\u00adsuits run the gamut through cur\u00adrent polit\u00adi\u00adcal bat\u00adtles includ\u00ading pub\u00adlic health, the envi\u00adron\u00adment, immi\u00adgra\u00adtion, diver\u00adsi\u00adty pro\u00adgrams, trans\u00adgen\u00adder rights and more.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 The first law\u00adsuit chal\u00adlenged the president\u2019s exec\u00adu\u00adtive order elim\u00adi\u00adnat\u00ading birthright cit\u00adi\u00adzen\u00adship, signed on Trump\u2019s first day in office. Oth\u00ader law\u00adsuits have chal\u00adlenged the dis\u00adman\u00adtling of the Depart\u00adment of Edu\u00adca\u00adtion or the tar\u00adiffs on for\u00adeign goods levied by the pres\u00adi\u00addent. A great por\u00adtion of the cas\u00ades con\u00adcern the with\u00adhold\u00ading of funds already allo\u00adcat\u00aded to states or chang\u00ading the con\u00addi\u00adtions under which states can receive that fund\u00ading. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To Tong and oth\u00ader coali\u00adtion mem\u00adbers, these law\u00adsuits rep\u00adre\u00adsent a response to a gov\u00adern\u00adment vio\u00adlat\u00ading the Con\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtion and the prin\u00adci\u00adples of fed\u00ader\u00adal\u00adism and the rule of law.  At the heart of the law\u00adsuits is the fight for the rights and sov\u00ader\u00adeign\u00adty of the state of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut against fed\u00ader\u00adal over\u00adreach, as well as the sep\u00ada\u00adra\u00adtion of pow\u00aders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFed\u00ader\u00adal\u00adism is the essen\u00adtial prin\u00adci\u00adple of our coun\u00adtry,\u201d Tong said. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of where it all starts.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the law\u00adsuits over fed\u00ader\u00adal fund\u00ading, Tong said the exec\u00adu\u00adtive branch is usurp\u00ading the pow\u00aders of Con\u00adgress by revok\u00ading mon\u00adey already appro\u00adpri\u00adat\u00aded or seek\u00ading to add restric\u00adtions not includ\u00aded by law\u00admak\u00aders. This has includ\u00aded the tar\u00adget\u00ading of DEI pro\u00adgrams.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo say, \u2018we\u2019re not going to give you mon\u00adey unless you do what [you\u2019re] told with respect to inte\u00adgra\u00adtion or diver\u00adsi\u00adty, equi\u00adty, inclu\u00adsion, belong\u00ading is just absurd,\u201d Tong said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pres\u00adi\u00addent is not a monarch, and his pow\u00ader is not absolute, Tong said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not abstract or con\u00adcep\u00adtu\u00adal that we have no kings and we don\u2019t bend the knee,\u201d Tong said.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vin\u00adcent Can\u00adde\u00adlo\u00adra, the state legislature\u2019s Repub\u00adli\u00adcan House minor\u00adi\u00adty leader, said he believes Tong is act\u00ading in good faith, but he ques\u00adtioned whether the cas\u00ades will be suc\u00adcess\u00adful and worth the mon\u00adey being spent on them.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think he is attempt\u00ading to do what\u2019s good,\u201d Can\u00adde\u00adlo\u00adra said. \u201cSo, while the law\u00adsuits on their face aren\u2019t friv\u00ado\u00adlous and aren\u2019t with\u00adout mer\u00adit, it just might come with a cost that isn\u2019t worth the ben\u00ade\u00adfit.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can\u00adde\u00adlo\u00adra said he believes that the attor\u00adney gen\u00ader\u00adal\u2019s focus could be put toward oth\u00ader, more press\u00ading issues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think that there are resources that are put to those fed\u00ader\u00adal cas\u00ades, and at the same time, you know, he\u2019s here to defend and rep\u00adre\u00adsent the state of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut,\u201d Can\u00adde\u00adlo\u00adra said. \u201cAre those resources being spread too thin? And are we los\u00ading track of what needs to be done at the local lev\u00adel, at the state lev\u00adel?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ben Pro\u00adto, chair\u00adman of the Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut GOP, said he thinks that the nature of many of the law\u00adsuits, which often demand fund\u00ading pre\u00advi\u00adous\u00adly allo\u00adcat\u00aded by Con\u00adgress, go against the idea of fed\u00ader\u00adal\u00adism. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c[Tong] either wants to pro\u00adtect the state from fed\u00ader\u00adal over\u00adreach, or he wants the fed\u00ader\u00adal gov\u00adern\u00adment pro\u00advid\u00ading things to the state,\u201d Pro\u00adto said.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pro\u00adto said he believes Tong\u2019s law\u00adsuits are polit\u00adi\u00adcal. He points to the fact that Tong\u2019s office has not filed any of the law\u00adsuits, only joined on cas\u00ades already brought by oth\u00ader states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf he tru\u00adly thought that some of these things should have been brought as actions, he would bring them to the Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut fed\u00ader\u00adal court on behalf of the state of Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut and not be a taga\u00adlong,\u201d Pro\u00adto said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rober\u00adto Alves, the chair\u00adman of the Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut Demo\u00adc\u00adra\u00adt\u00adic par\u00adty, said the par\u00adty sup\u00adports Tong\u2019s actions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf we give up, they win,\u201d Alves said. \u201cI think the attor\u00adney gen\u00ader\u00adal is doing every\u00adthing he has to do.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As pres\u00adi\u00addent of the Nation\u00adal Asso\u00adci\u00ada\u00adtion of Attor\u00adneys Gen\u00ader\u00adal, Tong said he feels a spe\u00adcial respon\u00adsi\u00adbil\u00adi\u00adty to bring these cas\u00ades to be an exam\u00adple for oth\u00ader attor\u00adneys gen\u00ader\u00adal \u2014 even if Repub\u00adli\u00adcan col\u00adleagues in the asso\u00adci\u00ada\u00adtion don\u2019t agree with him.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tong has also weighed in on oth\u00ader cas\u00ades against the admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion by join\u00ading state coali\u00adtions in fil\u00ading ami\u00adcus briefs, or \u201cfriend of the court\u201d briefs, in sup\u00adport of cas\u00ades brought by non\u00adprof\u00adit and advo\u00adca\u00adcy groups.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For exam\u00adple in Novem\u00adber, Tong joined 18 oth\u00ader states in fil\u00ading an ami\u00adcus brief in the case Make the Road New York v. Noem, a law\u00adsuit brought by the non\u00adprof\u00adit group over the Trump administration\u2019s expe\u00addit\u00aded depor\u00adta\u00adtion prac\u00adtices.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tong\u2019s actions are on track with oth\u00ader states of sim\u00adi\u00adlar size and polit\u00adi\u00adcal lean\u00adings. Mass\u00ada\u00adchu\u00adsetts, for instance, joined 40 cas\u00ades as of Oct. 29, 2025 accord\u00ading to the Office of the Mass\u00ada\u00adchu\u00adsetts Attor\u00adney Gen\u00ader\u00adal.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though solid\u00adly red states have not been part of the states\u2019 law\u00adsuits, some \u201cpur\u00adple\u201d states that are more Repub\u00adli\u00adcan than Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut have joined. Ken\u00adtucky, for instance, is a par\u00adty in six of the state law\u00adsuits that Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut has joined. Ari\u00adzona has signed onto five of the law\u00adsuits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Click on a title to view details about each law\u00adsuit<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n