Five Questions with Democracy Defender Norm Eisen
On the eve of the midterm elections, there’s no one I’d rather talk election protection with than Norm Eisen. The former White House Ethics Advisor and Ambassador has become a household name for his work on the democracy front. He’s become the president’s nemesis, and Trump calls him out on social media with a frequency that suggests Norm’s work has really gotten under his skin, likely due in no small part to the fact that along with the brilliant Jen Rubin, Norm co-founded .
If you’re reading about a case on Civil Discourse, from the East Potomac Golf Course, to the defense of Davey Hearn, the Olympian accused and now acquitted of damaging the Reflecting Pool, to the ballot case in California, and beyond, the odds are that Norm and his Democracy Defenders Fund colleagues are in the mix. Over the last several months, he has increasingly focused on election protection work, making sure Americans can cast a ballot and have it counted in this unique election, where the White House is doing its best to interfere with our most fundamental right as citizens.
Norm took time out of a busy schedule to answer some of my most pressing questions about where we are, how confident he is we can hold free and fair elections in this climate, and what we can expect as the counts get underway. He’ll be back with us Sunday for a Substack Live, so I hope you’ll share any additional questions you have for us in the comments here.
“Five Questions” is a Friday feature for paid subscribers, built around the conversations that don’t fit into a news cycle driven by headlines and hot takes. It’s a chance to spend time with the people shaping the law, politics, and democracy—and to ask the questions that matter most, not just the ones everyone else is asking. Keeping the daily legal analysis free has always mattered to me, and it still does, but these special Friday conversations let me thank paid subscribers for keeping Civil Discourse available to everyone. Whether you’re a paid subscriber or a free subscriber, I’m grateful you’re here.