For decades, the Federalist Society has been a devoutly Conservative organization advocating for a textualist perspective on the United States Constitution.
Steven Calabresi, one of its co-founders, is a devout Conservative as well, having voted Republican in every election since 1980, including for President Donald Trump in 2016. Calabresi was a staunch critic of Robert Mueller's investigaton into Russian interference in that election and the Trump campaign's involvement in it.
He also came out forcefully against the impeachment proceedings initiated against Trump.
But after a tweet from the President on Thursday, Calabresi could no longer endorse Trump's actions.
On Thursday morning, Trump floated the idea of delaying the 2020 United States election for the first time in U.S. history.
With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2020
People were alarmed, because it appeared that Trump—continuing his months-long effort to discredit voting by mail—was making a move to postpone or otherwise undermine the Constitutionally sanctioned election.
Calabresi wrote in an op-ed for the New York Times published later that day, that such a suggestion was grounds for another impeachment, and this time, for Trump's removal:
"...I am frankly appalled by the president's recent tweet seeking to postpone the November election. Until recently, I had taken as political hyperbole the Democrats' assertion that President Trump is a fascist. But this latest tweet is fascistic and is itself grounds for the president's immediate impeachment again by the House of Representatives and his removal from office by the Senate."
He reminded Americans that the United States has held an election in harder times.
"The nation has faced grave challenges before, just as it does today with the spread of the coronavirus. But it has never canceled or delayed a presidential election. Not in 1864, when President Abraham Lincoln was expected to lose and the South looked as if it might defeat the North. Not in 1932 in the depths of the Great Depression. Not in 1944 during World War II."
Calabresi goes on to urge every Republican congressperson to let the President know in no uncertain terms that postponing the election is not an option.
Some speculated that such a vocal departure could indicate a growing lack of faith from Republicans in Trump.
This strikes me as both significant and surprising. Calabresi co-chairs the Federalist Society's board.
One takeaway from this op-ed is that the FedSoc expects Trump to lose, because I doubt they'd risk losing the judicial appointments power otherwise. https://t.co/Sw57llLngT
— Ian Millhiser (@imillhiser) July 30, 2020
When you've lost the co-founder of the Federalist Society.... https://t.co/M8kq0AkrR2
— Elie Mystal (@ElieNYC) July 30, 2020
If the head of The Federalist Society is disavowing Trump it's simply because Trump is no longer useful
— Jessica Mason Pieklo (@Hegemommy) July 31, 2020
Folks, this is the co-founder of one of the most established conservative Republican organizations...The Federalist Society. The earth is beginning to shake. https://t.co/u9qerHF1Qx
— Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) July 30, 2020
The fact Steven Calabresi, a co-founder of the Federalist Society, is calling for Trump to be impeached and removed from office is a huge deal.
There appears to be a growing realization among some conservatives that Trump is going to lose.
This is what jumping ship looks like. https://t.co/l3S8hBdf4R
— Ahmed Baba (@AhmedBaba_) July 30, 2020
When arch conservative law professor Steven Calabresi, who blasted the Mueller investigation as "unconstitutional," calls Donald Trump a fascist and suggests that his recent tweet is grounds for his immediate impeachment and removal, that is really something. https://t.co/nrMbr9ttcJ
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) July 30, 2020
Every time, supporters of authoritarians don't want to understand who they are dealing with...#Calabresi thought assertions that Trump acts like a fascist were “hyperbole." But he gets it now, and that's something. https://t.co/Fkp4adURop
— Ruth Ben-Ghiat (@ruthbenghiat) July 31, 2020
That didn't shield Calabresi from his own accountability for creating the conditions that led to Trump.
We praise Steven Calabresi for his NYT piece calling for the impeachment of Trump. But where was he, The Federalist Society, & all Trump enablers for the past 4 years? They looked over all of this for tax cuts, deregulation & conservative judges. They made this Frankenstein.
— Wajahat "Wears a Mask Because of a Pandemic" Ali (@WajahatAli) July 30, 2020
forgive me if I am not impressed that the co-founder of the Federalist Society is dissatisfied with the circumstances he helped create
— Sarah Jones (@onesarahjones) July 30, 2020
Former Chair of the Federalist Society calls for Trump's “immediate impeachment" and removal by Senate in reaction to Trump's tweet threatening the election. Maybe he should have listened to Chairman Schiff during the first impeachment, warning this abuse of power would worsen. https://t.co/tljfEt7iGK
— Alexandra Chalupa (@AlexandraChalup) July 30, 2020
Trump has yet to counter the un-endorsement on Twitter.
