Vice President J.D. Vance's recent comments on judicial review have sparked a strong response from 17 state attorneys general. On February 9, 2025, Vice President Vance stated, “If a judge tried to tell a general how to conduct a military operation, that would be illegal. If a judge tried to command the attorney general in how to use her discretion as a prosecutor, that’s also illegal. Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.”
In reaction, Attorney General Kwame Raoul of Illinois released a joint statement with other attorneys general condemning Vance's remarks. The statement asserts: “The vice president’s statement is as wrong as it is reckless. As chief law enforcement officers representing the people of 17 states, we unequivocally reject the vice president’s attempt to spread this dangerous lie."
The group emphasized the judiciary's role in maintaining checks and balances within government: “Judges do not ‘control’ executive power. Judges stop the unlawful and unconstitutional exercise of power.” They referenced Chief Justice Marshall's historic words from Marbury v. Madison about the judiciary's duty to interpret laws.
The attorneys general underscored their commitment to scrutinizing actions by the current administration for any constitutional or legal violations: “As attorneys general, we will carefully scrutinize each and every action taken by this administration. If the Constitution or federal law is violated, we will not hesitate to act.”
They highlighted ongoing legal efforts against what they consider unlawful executive actions: “That is why we have already filed motions in courts across this country...including those to ban birthright citizenship; indiscriminately freeze federal funding; cap vital medical research dollars; and grant unauthorized disclosure of Americans’ private records and data.”
Raoul was joined by his counterparts from Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington in issuing this statement.