Quote · The Bulwark Podcast
David French: The Birthright Citizenship Ruling Should've Been 9-0
Where this was said
DOJ Immigration Cases: Prairie Land Shootings vs. Chicago Collapse
At 39:55 · chapter starts 37:30
Miller flags the Prairie Land Antifa case — where the DOJ press-released 'leaders of an Antifa cell' facing 100 years in prison — as context for the broader pattern of the Trump DOJ targeting immigration protesters under domestic terrorism designations. French offers a careful analysis: in Prairie Land, a cop was shot, violence was real, and jury verdicts under federal sentencing guidelines deserve respect absent compelling evidence of a miscarriage. But the double standard isn't Prairie Land — it's the Chicago cases. [1] — David French "The DOJ can still deliver justice against people it dislikes — as in the Prairie Land shooting case. But friends of the regime get impunity…" 38:20 There, case after case has been dropped by prosecutors, grand juries have taken the extraordinary step of refusing to indict, and U.S. Assistant Attorneys are accused of improperly lobbying grand juries. A woman shot five times was labeled a domestic terrorist in a press release, only for charges to be dropped when evidence emerged. French connects this to his concept of the dual state: a justice system can still function normally for most people while operating a parallel track of impunity for regime allies — reportedly available for purchase at $2 million — and a track of 'justice plus' for regime enemies.
The DOJ can still deliver justice against people it dislikes — as in the Prairie Land shooting case. But friends of the regime get impunity. David French calls this the 'dual state': normal justice for most people, and a second track where crimes committed in service of the sovereign go unpunished — reportedly for as little as $2 million.
Reporting cited by David French suggests it is an 'open secret' that $2 million can secure a presidential pardon from the Trump administration.
Multiple DOJ immigration protest cases in the Chicago/Broadview area have been dropped, with grand juries refusing to indict and U.S. Attorneys accused of improper conduct before grand juries.
Zohran Mamdani said the Constitution looks fine as-is when asked whether the natural-born citizen requirement should change for his benefit. David French — who thinks any citizen should be eligible for the presidency — says that's the wrong answer, but credits Mamdani for not doing the wink-and-nod Trump did on the same question.
