Legal fireworks exploded live on MSNBC Monday night after President Donald Trump fired Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook — a shocking move that immediately sparked outrage and legal alarm.
Norm Eisen, a prominent attorney and chair of the Democracy Defenders Fund, didn’t hold back when reacting to Trump’s announcement, which was posted online late Monday. During an appearance on The Weeknight with Michael Steele, Eisen flat-out accused Trump of trampling the law and the Constitution.
“Donald Trump doesn’t care about the Constitution!” Eisen said. “He doesn’t care that Congress has said you can only fire somebody for cause! He doesn’t care that he has no cause here!”
The firing is historic — and possibly illegal. Federal Reserve governors have job protections and can’t be removed without cause. Trump says Cook committed mortgage fraud before taking her seat, something she has denied. He fired her immediately, citing his powers under Article II of the Constitution and the Federal Reserve Act.
Eisen wasn’t having it. On air, he pointed to a major legal precedent, saying, “The Supreme Court said so in the Gwynne Wilcox case — that the Fed is different.” That ruling limited a president’s ability to fire independent agency officials without clear justification.
Cook, a respected economist, is accused by Trump’s administration of claiming two different properties as her primary residence to get better loan terms. A referral from Federal Housing Finance Agency chief Bill Pulte — one of Trump’s most loyal allies — was sent to Attorney General Pam Bondi, claiming Cook made “false statements on one or more mortgage agreements.”
Trump declared in his firing letter: “It is impossible that you intended to honor both.”
But Cook has denied any wrongdoing and made it clear: she’s not going anywhere.
Eisen dismissed the accusations as political and tore into the credibility of the source. “You have somebody in the White House who himself is a convicted felon. Thirty-four counts. No wonder the federal courts have shot him down 200 times for illegal actions. This is another one.”
Then came the dramatic moment.
Eisen asked Steele to hand over a printout of Trump’s termination letter to Cook.
“And you know what? Remember — can I have that letter? This is Donald Trump’s letter,” he said. “Do you know what Lisa Cook should do? What Nancy Pelosi did. She should tear that letter.”
And he did just that — ripped the letter in half live on air.
“Now you’ll need to tape it for the rest of the segment,” he added.
The bold act was a stunning protest of a firing that many legal experts say is destined to end up in court — and could test the limits of presidential power over independent institutions.
Watch the video below from MSNBC.
