Democratic U.S. Representative Mark DeSaulnier took center stage during a town hall meeting at Mt. Diablo High School in Concord on Thursday, where he laid out what he believed was the best way to keep the Trump Administration in check.
Attendees packed the gymnasium to hear a plan of action, especially regarding the myriad of executive orders signed by President Donald Trump and the growing influence of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.
"It’s ridiculous. [It's] not about efficiency," DeSaulnier said.
DeSaulnier said there is an uphill battle for Democrats who don't hold the majority in either chamber of Congress. He said the party's best shot at keeping checks and balances is through the courts.
The town hall came as the president signed an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education.
For some attendees, the plan to use the courts didn't give them much confidence, they said.
"More action words would be great, more [on how] we are going to fight this way," said Cindy Tomasull of Concord.
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Democrats used the courts during Trump's first term, and DeSaulnier said he believes it will still work.
"The first term he was in, we won almost 80% of the cases," he said. "That’s the place where we have a fighting chance."
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