The Unpersoning of John Eastman

My newest piece for The American Mind

John Eastman is a legal scholar of the first rank. He has argued before the Supreme Court, testified in Congress, and cultivated a deserved reputation as an expert in constitutional law. He has practiced at a prestigious law firm, served as both professor and Dean at Chapman University law school, and, of course, represented many notable figures, including Donald Trump. Unlike many lawyers, he earned a reputation for integrity, intelligence, and moral courage. Like all lawyers, he maintained a bank account with a major financial institution and, of course, a state license to practice law–in his case, in California, one of the hardest bar licenses to earn.

Those sound like the trappings of a good life–the reputational and material fruits of a lifetime of honest hard work. It used to be the case that once earned, such fruits were then possessed of right. And no person–certainly no American–would dare to deprive Eastman of his right to them merely because of his legal work or political speech. Indeed, it was not so long ago that even suggesting as much would have been considered un-American. Not any longer.

Today, extremely powerful people in government, high-finance, big law, big business, state bar associations, academia, and elsewhere have decided to destroy John Eastman because of his legal work and political speech on behalf of Donald Trump in late 2020 and early 2021. Some hated his courageous challenge to “their” democracy. Others feared his intellect. Still others saw an opportunity to increase their middling stature by bringing low a greater mind, while fantasizing that by disagreeing with Eastman they fulfilled an “oath to God.” All have worked to destroy Eastman because he challenged the regime.

George Orwell called this coordinated process of erasing one’s official identity “unpersoning.” By depriving John Eastman of his employment, employability, law license, reputation, access to money, and even his freedom, the regime seeks to send a message. That message is not to John Eastman. It is to you: Don’t you dare challenge the regime, or you too will be unpersoned.

You can read the rest here…