Sen. Chris Van Hollen says he believes America is in deep trouble.
“We are facing a clear and present danger because of the illegal actions being taken by Donald Trump and Elon Musk,” says Maryland’s senior senator. “President Trump clearly thinks he is a king. He’s ignoring the law. And he’s brought in Elon Musk to dismantle very important public services that benefit all Americans, in order to rig the government for people like Elon Musk. That’s the state of the nation.”
Jmore recently caught up with Van Hollen, 66, a Kensington resident who sits on the Senate committees for Appropriations, Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, and Foreign Relations.
In the wake of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, many pro-Israel supporters were dismayed by your criticism of Israel in its military campaign against Hamas. What would you say to them?
Hamas’ horrific attack on Oct. 7, 2023 – which resulted in the murder of over 1,200 people and the kidnapping of more than 250 – will forever leave a scar on the peoples of Israel and the United States. This despicable act of terrorism was the worst attack on the Jewish community since the Holocaust, and that pain endures, especially as not all the hostages have been returned.
Since Oct. 7 and prior, I have consistently supported Israel’s right to defend itself. I believe you can be a friend to Israel — as I am — while still opposing many of the actions of the Netanyahu government. This is why I have expressed my deep concerns with actions taken by the Netanyahu government amid the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and why I have also worked to ensure that all our friends and partners use U.S. military assistance in a manner consistent with our interests and values, and in compliance with our laws.
I believe that one can be pro-Israel and oppose many of the policies of the Netanyahu government, just as one can be pro-America while opposing the policies of the Trump Administration.
I have met on numerous occasions — both in Israel and in my Senate office — with family members of the hostages and, like those whom I have met with, I believe that a ceasefire and return of all the hostages remains the best way forward. I have also heard from and met with many of my constituents on all sides of these issues. I welcome their feedback, and I will continue to engage in discussions with them.
Do you still believe that Israelis and Palestinians can eventually live in peace?
I believe we should seek to create some light at the end of this very dark tunnel by ensuring a post-Gaza governance structure that bars any role for Hamas and ensures security and self-determination for Israelis and Palestinians alike. That future should ultimately result in a two-state solution in concert with the normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
I will continue to push for the immediate release of all the hostages, an end to this war, and a peace that upholds the rights and the security of both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples. In my view it’s important that we have a Middle East where Israelis and Palestinians alike have security, dignity and self-determination.
The challenge at this time is to go from this very dark moment to a place where we can achieve sustainable peace, security and dignity for all people. That includes, ultimately, security and self-determination for both peoples, including a Palestinian state – a demilitarized Palestinian state – within the context of normalization of relations among Israel, Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries.
Why are you sounding the alarms about President Trump?
His goal is to create what works for the already powerful and very, very wealthy people, like Elon Musk. I say that based on the actions that Musk has been taking, which have nothing to do with making government more efficient and everything to do with making government work better for people like himself.
Part of this overall approach is to provide tax cuts for very, very wealthy people at the expense of everybody else in America. We can see this playbook unfolding before our eyes. Republicans are taking aim at very important health programs like Medicaid to pay in part for the tax cuts that will benefit big corporations and the very rich.
Donald Trump, on the campaign trail. was promising to focus on bringing down prices on day one. He was going to address issues important to working people. Instead, he’s implementing Project 2025, which, on the campaign trail, he completely disavowed. …
Throwing the Ukrainian people under the bus is a great betrayal of the people of Ukraine, but also our allies and partners and freedom-loving people around the world.
He’s doing that because his model of leadership is people like [Russian President] Vladimir Putin and [Chinese President] Xi Jinping. Donald Trump likes the authority model so he’s illegally claiming powers he doesn’t have. He’s issuing Executive Orders, claiming he can do that, though they can only be enacted through Congressional action. His model is to abandon the long-standing U.S. approach to the world: support democracy, support freedom, support a rules-based order.
Why are you and other Democrats so concerned about Musk?
He spent $280 million to help get Trump elected to enact Musk’s worldview, his agenda. Since the inauguration, he’s got billions more in federal contracts. Elon Musk is not about making the federal government more efficient. He’s about making the federal government work to advance the goals of people like himself at the expense of everybody else.
Why would you shut down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau? It has returned more than $20 billion to consumers around the country who were cheated by fraudsters and scammers, including millions returned to Maryland consumers who got ripped off by these people. Just another example that has nothing to do with government efficiency.
What in your view can be done to save American democracy?
When you have massive lawbreaking going on, the first line of defense is the courts. There are more than 60 lawsuits across the nation to stop this lawbreaking spree. I have been working very closely with lawyers who are bringing these cases against Trump’s and Musk’s illegal actions.
I’m also working with organizations. Democracy Forward is one, and its leader, Skye Perryman. She and that organization have been quite successful in terms of lawsuits filed against the lawbreaking of Trump and Musk.
We in Congress are also doing everything we can to fight this lawbreaking. We are also working very hard to protect Medicaid, which is an essential health care program in Maryland and across the country. We’re going to work hard to protect food nutrition programs, the SNAP program, which is also on the Republican target list.
Republicans are in the majority in the House, but it’s only by a few seats. In the Senate, Republicans have 53 seats, Democrats 47. We need four Republican Senate votes to block anything. We got three to vote against Pete Hegseth when he was the nominee for secretary of Defense, a totally unqualified person.
In addition to the courts and Congress, we’re taking this fight to communities all over the country. That’s why it’s so important to raise alarm bells, to get the word out about this ‘Great Betrayal.’
Why do you feel more Republicans aren’t criticizing the policies of the Trump administration so far?
Many Republicans have what I call the ‘Dear Leader Syndrome.” They do exactly what Donald Trump and Elon Musk want them to do. But countervailing pressure from their constituents can make them recognize that the people they represent don’t want what they’re offering.
Are Republican legislators concerned about potential physical harm to themselves or their families if they don’t follow the Trump agenda?
I don’t have any personal knowledge of that, but I will say that on his first day as president, Donald Trump sent a very awful message around the country. He pardoned individuals who had been convicted of looting and bloodying police officers. Five of them died [during the U.S. Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021]. So the really awful signal he sent is that if you commit violence in Donald Trump’s name, he will pardon you. That was very dangerous and sinister.
How is the country changing during the second Trump era?
Other presidents, regardless of party, have run on the idea of bringing people together. He has run on the idea of pitting Americans against one another based on race or religion or ethnicity. When Donald Trump suggested that somehow DEI [Diversity, Equity and Inclusion] was the cause of the plane and helicopter crash near Reagan National Airport [on Jan. 29, 2025], that was a very poisonous lie. We all need to fight for our country, fight for the character of our country.
What can be done to combat escalating antisemitism?
We need to fight it wherever it raises its ugly head. That means we need to call it out. It also means taking measures to protect the Jewish community and other communities targeted by hate.
We need to steadily increase funding for nonprofit security programs and provide additional funds to help protect synagogues. We need to confront full-bore antisemitism and other forms of hate whenever we see them.
Peter Arnold is a freelance writer.
A committed philanthropist and community leader, Russel was president of R&H Motors.
The mother of four was a native of Winchester, Virginia, who spent most of her life in Northwest Baltimore.
The remaining 6,000 members of the community are expected to immigrate by 2030.
The Columbia resident worked on the Gemini and Apollo space missions.