ACLU's Romero Rebukes CEOs for Ducking Hard Issues as $550 Million Group Weighs Trump-Era Fights
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Nov 1
ACLU's Romero Rebukes CEOs for Ducking Hard Issues as $550 Million Group Weighs Trump-Era Fights
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Nov 1
Summary
Anthony Romero said corporate chiefs are failing to defend democratic institutions during Trump’s second term, even as tariffs, immigration raids and election-related attacks reshape business and civic life.
Romero, 61, argued that unlike many executives, the ACLU must pair public opposition with a legal strategy, saying the group has to be selective about which cases it brings.
The ACLU now oversees about 2,100 employees and more than $550 million in contributions, giving Romero a large platform even as he notes he does not answer to shareholders.
Donor enthusiasm has not matched the first Trump era: ACLU revenue more than doubled after the 2016 campaign, then faded in the Biden years and rose again before Trump’s return, but only about half as fast.