Attorney
General
Alberto
Gonzales
(Photo
by
Mark
Wilson/Getty
Images)
Former
United
States
Attorney
General
Alberto
Gonzales
appeared
on
the NPR
podcast
The
Middle
with
Jeremy
Hobson,
and
he
had
some
choice
words
for
Donald
Trump’s
attacks
on
Biglaw.
And
before
some
internet
troll
with
a
myopic
view
of
America
history
sees
his
last
name
and
starts
screaming
WOKE!
like
a
red-pilled
talisman
to
insulate
them
from
the
reality
of
what
Gonzales
has
to
say,
let’s
not
forget
that
we’re
talking
about
George
W.
Bush’s
AG.
The
same
guy
who
signed
off
on
“enhanced
interrogation
techniques,”
so
it’s
hard
to
write
him
off
as
a
lefty
shill.
The
podcast
focused
on
Trump’s
targeting
of
Biglaw
firms,
and
Gonzales
takes
a
dim
view
of
the
president’s
strategy.
I’m
inclined
to
give
people
the
benefit
of
the
doubt,
but
I
would
have
to
admit
it
certainly
appears
to
be
retribution.
I
think
it’s
first
one,
it’s
petty.
Secondly,
I
think
it’s
dangerous
given
the
enormous
power
of
the
president
United
States.
And
he
has
a
pretty
good
idea
*why*
this
is
happening:
[Trump’s]
trying
to
[
]
limit
the
number
of
great
lawyers
or
good
lawyers
that
can
take
positions
represent
clients
in
opposition
to
what
he
wants
to
accomplish
or
wants
to
do.
And
in
a
republic
like
ours,
I
think
that’s
very,
very
dangerous.
The
President
United
States
obviously
wields
a
great
deal
of
power
in
our
country
under
our
constitution,
and
he
obviously
has
the
discretion
to
exercise
that
power
as
he
sees
fit.
But
one
of
the
great
things
about
the
rule
of
law,
the
rule
of
law
also
exists
in
addition
to
protecting
your
rights
and
your
property,
it
exists
to
check
abuses
of
power.
And
we
want
to
make
sure
that
the
most
powerful
office
in
the
world
that
the
decisions
made
there
are
always
going
to
be
based
on
what
is
best
for
this
country,
not
what
is
based
on
political
or
personal
gains
of
the
individual
who
sits
in
that
office.
And
so
that
is
extremely
important
as
far
as
I’m
concerned,
is
providing
a
check
on
abuse
of
power.
And
the
firms
themselves
aren’t
spared
in
Gonzales’s
assessment,
he
says,
“if
lawyers
aren’t
stepping
up
and
speaking
out
against
these
kinds
of
attacks,
that’s
that’s
disappointing
and
dangerous.
I
must
confess
some
level
of
disappointment
in
the
silence
that
I’m
hearing
amongst
a
lot
of
firms.”
Not
to
mention
the
outright
capitulation
that
too
many
firms
are
engaging
in.
Though
Gonzales’s
outlook
is
ultimately
hopeful:
I
mean,
it’s
certainly
since
a
message
chilling
message
somewhat
might
say,
but
I
don’t
think
I
don’t
think
we’re
really
going
to
have
the
outcome
of
this,
of
this
battle,
and
I
do
consider
it
sort
of
a
battle
or
a
struggle,
So
you
know,
I
think
it’s
I
think
as
more
and
more
firms
step
up,
I
think
you’re
going
to
see
the
tide
turn.
And
I
think
at
least
I’m
at
least
hopeful
that
you’ll
see
the
efforts
by
the
administration
to
cause
fear
in
the
halls
of
law
firms
around
the
country.
I’m
hopeful
that
those
efforts
will
diminish.
Of
course,
at
this
point,
more
firms
have
acquiesced
to
Trump
than
stepped
up
to
fight
the
likely
unconstitutional
attacks
on
the
industry.
And
what
that
means
for
the
rule
of
law
in
this
country
is
deeply
disturbing.
Kathryn
Rubino
is
a
Senior
Editor
at
Above
the
Law,
host
of
The
Jabot
podcast,
and
co-host
of
Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
AtL
tipsters
are
the
best,
so
please
connect
with
her.
Feel
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