成人X站

Just two days after being elected governor, Attorney General Bob Ferguson told reporters at a press conference Thursday he is preparing his successor, Attorney General-elect Nick Brown, for potential litigation against the incoming Donald Trump administration.

Flanked by a group of state lawyers, Ferguson said he was 鈥渃oncerned鈥� about Trump鈥檚 expected policies and campaign promises, such as mass deportations, restricting abortion rights and ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). DACA is an Obama-era program that has prevented the deportation of children who were brought into the nation illegally.

It could mean more future courtroom battles between the state鈥檚 highest legal office and the federal government — a familiar tone to many who kept up with politics in Trump鈥檚 first term when Ferguson鈥檚 office filed or took part in almost 100 such lawsuits.

More politics: WA Democrats tell citizens 鈥榳e will be ready鈥� for second Trump presidency

鈥淢y approach is not to seek an adversary relationship (with Trump), but if anyone takes an action that harms Washingtonians, well obviously, it鈥檚 my job as attorney general to do something if we think it鈥檚 illegal,鈥� he said.

But in January, Ferguson will be sworn in as Washington鈥檚 next governor, replacing Governor Jay Inslee, who reportedly had an aid request ignored by the last Trump administration after wildfires ravaged the state.

鈥淚 want to be clear: I hope to God, I pray that the things we鈥檙e talking about don鈥檛 come to pass,鈥� Ferguson said when asked how he鈥檇 handle Trump鈥檚 return to the White House. 鈥淲onderful 鈥� if this team never has to file a single lawsuit against the Trump administration, no one would be more happy than me.鈥�

Ferguson 鈥� who will become the commander-in-chief of Washington鈥檚 National Guard as governor — refused to go into specifics on how he would respond to Trump鈥檚 plan to use National Guard troops to carry out mass deportations in the state. He repeatedly cited the need to keep legal strategies confidential.

Instead, he laid out his criteria for taking action, which he said guided the attorney general鈥檚 office in the past.

鈥淚s the action illegal, unconstitutional, are Washingtonians being harmed, and do I, as attorney general, have standing,鈥� he said.

Figures from a Washington Office of Financial Management report show, as of 2021, about 304,000 people were living in the state illegally, about 3.8% of Washington鈥檚 total population.

Gas clash: Who鈥檚 accused of being a 鈥榩ompus turd鈥� in I-2066 legal threat

When asked about Trump鈥檚 suggestion of using the military against who he deems as 鈥渆nemies from within鈥� 鈥� a term in which Trump includes a nebulous group of Americans and the 鈥渞adical left鈥� 鈥� Ferguson called it 鈥渄eeply un-American.鈥�

“If he acts on that in a way that is illegal and un-American, obviously I鈥檒l have thoughts about that as the governor and would do everything I could to protect whatever individuals that would be under attack,” Ferguson said. “I certainly hope it doesn鈥檛 come to that, but I did find those words to be especially concerning. That鈥檚 an understatement.”

Jim Walsh, the Washington State Republican Party Chair, told Axios on Thursday he wanted Ferguson to 鈥渞econsider鈥� his approach, saying the governor-elect has 鈥減etty, partisan obsessions鈥� with Trump.

Sam Campbell is a reporter, editor and anchor at 成人X站 Newsradio. You can read more of Sam鈥檚 stories聽here. Follow Sam on聽, or聽email him here.