'A coup in slow motion': More than 2,000 lawyers sign open letter against Trump and his GOP 'enablers'

More than 2,000 attorneys across the United States are pushing back against President Donald Trump and his repeated assault United States' democracy.

In an open, collective letter released on Wednesday, the Lawyers Defending American Democracy (LDAD) highlighted various "fundamental democratic principles" that have been trampled on by Trump and his Republican colleagues, whom they described as "enablers" throughout his presidency. They also stressed the importance of America's lawyers to uphold and protect America's democracy regardless of political views.

"As the November 3 election draws near, it is important for all lawyers in this great country – Republicans, Democrats and independents alike – who have a deep and abiding belief in the basic principles that have guided this nation since its founding to consider the impact of what the president has done on the future of our democracy," the letter says.

"That democracy is a delicate arrangement and depends for its survival on widespread and largely voluntary adherence to established rules and norms and on leaders who support them," the letter continues. "Time and time again, this president has ignored those rules, ignored those norms and has urged others to do so. If continued, behavior of that kind has ruinous potential for us all."

The attorneys also released a detailed chart outlining the violations against democracy that Trump has trampled on. Former Massachusetts attorney general and LDAD leader Scott Harshbarger described their layout as "a visual roadmap addressing the violations Donald Trump has scorched in the earth."

LDAD also included an itemized list of principles at the center of their concerns as follows:

These principles, per the compendium, include: (1) the separation of powers; (2) the impartiality of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ); (3) the impartiality of other government agencies and officials; (4) avoiding corruption and the appearance of corruption; (5) the integrity of the voting process; (6) the truthfulness of public officials; and (7) respect for the rights and dignity of all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin or religion.

They also urged other lawyers to review the principles and Trump's disregard for them and consider how they can make changes to move the country in the right direction.

The letter said, "After considering those principles and the degradation of them the president has attempted, we ask you to think about what you can do, and what you can urge others to do, through advocacy, litigation, voting and the other activities in which lawyers have historically engaged in troubled times to stop what in the last analysis has all of the earmarks of a coup in slow motion."