Grand Juries Are Saving Democracy
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Politics
/ February 11, 2026
Grand Juries Are Saving Democracy
A Washington, DC, panel rejected Jeanine Pirro’s lame attempt to indict six Democratic Congresspersons merely for reminding military and intelligence officials to obey the law.
Joan Walsh
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US Attorney Jeanine Pirro asked a grand jury to indict six Democratic Congresspersons, all military veterans, who recorded an ad reminding their military and intelligence community colleagues they are not obliged to obey illegal orders from their superiors.(Aaron Schwartz / Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The entrance to the Supreme Court building announces “Equal Justice Under Law,” but it hasn’t felt like SCOTUS represented that American value for quite some time—roughly since Bush v. Gore in December 2000, even more so since gutting the Voting Rights Act in Shelby in 2013, and especially since the John Roberts court declared, in 2024, that the president is immune from punishment for “official acts,” even those demonstrably illegal, while in office.
Meanwhile, an undersung underpinning to American justice has repeatedly emerged as the hero in this second, lawless Donald Trump administration: local grand juries, most famous for the slur that they’ll easily indict a ham sandwich. That was never (uniformly) true, but the low expectation of rigor has served to focus attention on the ways these ordinary citizens have courageously stood up to Trump when so many elites, including universities, law firms, the GOP Congress, and six of nine SCOTUS justices, have caved.
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Hell Cats vs. Hegseth
Joan Walsh
The Pentagon’s “Bad-Faith, BS” Review of Women in Combat Roles
Joan Walsh
The most recent grand jury victory for democracy came late Tuesday afternoon, when a Washington, DC, panel refused to indict six Democratic Congresspersons, all military veterans, who recorded an ad reminding their military and intelligence community colleagues that they are not obliged to obey illegal orders from their superiors. The stirring ad, titled “Don’t Give Up the Ship,” merely repeated language common to US military training courses since World War II.
The FBI had been investigating all six: Senators Mark Kelly of Arizona and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, along with Representatives Jason Crow of Colorado, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, and Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is conducting his own petty jihad against Kelly, formally censuring him and docking his retirement pay. “[Kelly] released a reckless and seditious video that was clearly intended to undermine good order and military discipline,” Hegseth claimed …
Law enforcement shouldn't be political.
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Grand Juries Are Saving Democracy
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Current Issue
Politics
/ February 11, 2026
Grand Juries Are Saving Democracy
A Washington, DC, panel rejected Jeanine Pirro’s lame attempt to indict six Democratic Congresspersons merely for reminding military and intelligence officials to obey the law.
Joan Walsh
Share
Copy Link
X (Twitter)
Bluesky Pocket
Edit
Ad Policy
US Attorney Jeanine Pirro asked a grand jury to indict six Democratic Congresspersons, all military veterans, who recorded an ad reminding their military and intelligence community colleagues they are not obliged to obey illegal orders from their superiors.(Aaron Schwartz / Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The entrance to the Supreme Court building announces “Equal Justice Under Law,” but it hasn’t felt like SCOTUS represented that American value for quite some time—roughly since Bush v. Gore in December 2000, even more so since gutting the Voting Rights Act in Shelby in 2013, and especially since the John Roberts court declared, in 2024, that the president is immune from punishment for “official acts,” even those demonstrably illegal, while in office.
Meanwhile, an undersung underpinning to American justice has repeatedly emerged as the hero in this second, lawless Donald Trump administration: local grand juries, most famous for the slur that they’ll easily indict a ham sandwich. That was never (uniformly) true, but the low expectation of rigor has served to focus attention on the ways these ordinary citizens have courageously stood up to Trump when so many elites, including universities, law firms, the GOP Congress, and six of nine SCOTUS justices, have caved.
Related Articles
Hell Cats vs. Hegseth
Joan Walsh
The Pentagon’s “Bad-Faith, BS” Review of Women in Combat Roles
Joan Walsh
The most recent grand jury victory for democracy came late Tuesday afternoon, when a Washington, DC, panel refused to indict six Democratic Congresspersons, all military veterans, who recorded an ad reminding their military and intelligence community colleagues that they are not obliged to obey illegal orders from their superiors. The stirring ad, titled “Don’t Give Up the Ship,” merely repeated language common to US military training courses since World War II.
The FBI had been investigating all six: Senators Mark Kelly of Arizona and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, along with Representatives Jason Crow of Colorado, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, and Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is conducting his own petty jihad against Kelly, formally censuring him and docking his retirement pay. “[Kelly] released a reckless and seditious video that was clearly intended to undermine good order and military discipline,” Hegseth claimed …
Grand Juries Are Saving Democracy
Law enforcement shouldn't be political.
Log In
Email *
Password *
Remember Me
Forgot Your Password?
Log In
New to The Nation? Subscribe
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Grand Juries Are Saving Democracy
Magazine
Newsletters
Subscribe
Log In
Search
Subscribe
Donate
Magazine
Latest
Archive
Podcasts
Newsletters
Sections
Politics
World
Economy
Culture
Books & the Arts
The Nation
About
Events
Contact Us
Advertise
Current Issue
Politics
/ February 11, 2026
Grand Juries Are Saving Democracy
A Washington, DC, panel rejected Jeanine Pirro’s lame attempt to indict six Democratic Congresspersons merely for reminding military and intelligence officials to obey the law.
Joan Walsh
Share
Copy Link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
Bluesky Pocket
Email
Edit
Ad Policy
US Attorney Jeanine Pirro asked a grand jury to indict six Democratic Congresspersons, all military veterans, who recorded an ad reminding their military and intelligence community colleagues they are not obliged to obey illegal orders from their superiors.(Aaron Schwartz / Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The entrance to the Supreme Court building announces “Equal Justice Under Law,” but it hasn’t felt like SCOTUS represented that American value for quite some time—roughly since Bush v. Gore in December 2000, even more so since gutting the Voting Rights Act in Shelby in 2013, and especially since the John Roberts court declared, in 2024, that the president is immune from punishment for “official acts,” even those demonstrably illegal, while in office.
Meanwhile, an undersung underpinning to American justice has repeatedly emerged as the hero in this second, lawless Donald Trump administration: local grand juries, most famous for the slur that they’ll easily indict a ham sandwich. That was never (uniformly) true, but the low expectation of rigor has served to focus attention on the ways these ordinary citizens have courageously stood up to Trump when so many elites, including universities, law firms, the GOP Congress, and six of nine SCOTUS justices, have caved.
Related Articles
Hell Cats vs. Hegseth
Joan Walsh
The Pentagon’s “Bad-Faith, BS” Review of Women in Combat Roles
Joan Walsh
The most recent grand jury victory for democracy came late Tuesday afternoon, when a Washington, DC, panel refused to indict six Democratic Congresspersons, all military veterans, who recorded an ad reminding their military and intelligence community colleagues that they are not obliged to obey illegal orders from their superiors. The stirring ad, titled “Don’t Give Up the Ship,” merely repeated language common to US military training courses since World War II.
The FBI had been investigating all six: Senators Mark Kelly of Arizona and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, along with Representatives Jason Crow of Colorado, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, and Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is conducting his own petty jihad against Kelly, formally censuring him and docking his retirement pay. “[Kelly] released a reckless and seditious video that was clearly intended to undermine good order and military discipline,” Hegseth claimed …
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