Lawyer Who Defended Trump’s Family Issues ‘Warning’ Over His Return to Presidency

Ex-Kushner and Ivanka Attorney Abbe Lowell Warns Trump’s Second Term Could Shatter U.S. Democracy: “There Will Just Be Rubble”

The attorney who once worked tirelessly to protect Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump from the fallout of the Mueller investigation is now publicly warning America: Donald Trump’s second term could bring down the very institutions that saved his own family.

Abbe Lowell, one of Washington’s most seasoned and high-profile defense lawyers, says he’s “never been more concerned” about the fate of American democracy.

“The crack you put in the wall today becomes the gash tomorrow,” Lowell said, reflecting on a warning he first gave to Congress nearly three decades ago. “And now? That wall is more than cracked. It’s nearly crumbled.”

The Man Who Shielded Trump’s Family

Lowell, 73, isn’t just any Beltway lawyer. He’s repped a string of high-stakes clients on both sides of the political aisle, including President Bill Clinton, former Sen. John Edwards, and most recently Hunter Biden. But in 2017, it was Trump’s own family that turned to him when Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election meddling threatened to engulf the White House.

Kushner brought Lowell onto his legal team in June 2017, with Ivanka Trump following a month later. At the time, the probe was rapidly zeroing in on campaign contacts with Russian officials, and the couple needed more than PR spin—they needed legal muscle. Lowell delivered.

But eight years later, the attorney says the White House is no longer testing the system—it’s trying to break it.

“The first Trump term was a stress test. This one is an attack,” Lowell told the Financial Times in a blistering new interview.

Launching a Legal Counterattack

Rather than sit out this political moment, Lowell is mounting a resistance of his own. He’s founded a new legal shop—Lowell & Associates—designed to push back against what he describes as Trump’s deepening executive overreach.

Already, he claims, nine major law firms have “buckled” under political pressure, taking in nearly $1 billion in contracts tied to Trump-era initiatives while silencing dissent from within. But disillusioned attorneys are now breaking ranks—and finding a new home under Lowell.

Among his clients:

• New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is now under federal investigation after securing a $355 million civil fraud judgment against Trump.
• Miles Taylor, the former DHS official and “Anonymous” op-ed author, who lost his security clearance after publicly criticizing Trump’s leadership.

Lowell says they’re just the beginning. With Trump’s team firing off executive orders aimed at reshaping universities, nonprofits, and even local courts, Lowell is preparing for an avalanche of legal challenges.

“I don’t know that the administration has the ability, breadth, depth and expertise to handle all of the lawsuits coming,” he said.

The Courts Are Not a Safe Haven

Lowell doesn’t believe every case will succeed—especially with the current Supreme Court, which he says leans heavily toward executive authority. That’s why his firm is building arguments not around presidential limits, but constitutional freedoms.

“If the courts are weakened and the balance of power breaks down,” he warned, “there won’t be checks and balances. There will just be rubble from that wall.”

A Stunning Turn

Lowell’s transformation—from defender of Trump’s children to open critic of Trump himself—marks a striking shift in Washington’s legal-political landscape.

While the White House has yet to respond to the attorney’s remarks, insiders close to the administration have already dismissed Lowell’s concerns as partisan noise.

But for those who know Lowell’s career, the alarm bells are hard to ignore.

“When a man who defended Trump’s family now says the presidency is careening toward authoritarianism,” one longtime federal prosecutor told us, “you don’t roll your eyes. You pay attention.”

What’s Next?

Lowell insists his fight isn’t about politics—it’s about preserving the rule of law. But as the 2024 election fallout continues to divide the nation, and Trump wields his second-term power with growing boldness, it’s clear the courtroom battles have only just begun.

“I’ve seen political pressure before,” Lowell said. “But I’ve never seen anything like this.”

The White House did not respond to repeated requests for comment.