DC's most powerful legal strategy crumbles under MAGA pressure

President Donald Trump and some of his most outspoken critics, such as comedian Jimmy Kimmel and the Walt Disney Corporation, have been represented at various times by the same attorney, Beth Wilkinson — but political analysts question whether her juggling act is sustainable.

"A former Justice Department official, Ms. Wilkinson has represented Democratic politicians facing sexual harassment or assault allegations and helped guide Justice Brett Kavanaugh through his messy Supreme Court confirmation fight," reported The New York Times' Noam Scheiber on Sunday. "She has defended tobacco companies and drugmakers; she helped the National Football League fight concussion-related suits from ex-players and Microsoft defeat a Biden-era antitrust lawsuit."

Scheiber continued, "Earlier this year, the media mogul who controls Paramount, David Ellison, hired her to defend his $111 billion purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery against an attempt by state attorneys general to derail it. Mr. Ellison’s father, Larry, a founder of Oracle, is close to the Trump administration, which had already blessed the merger."

Scheiber then articulated the existential question about Wilkinson's balancing act.

"Does the Trump era mark the high point of the Washington superlawyer, by underscoring the value of Beltway actors who can toggle between MAGA acolytes and enemies?" Scheiber wrote. "Or, in an age when each side is more fevered and less tolerant of disloyalty, is the situationally flexible Washington lawyer on the verge of extinction?"

For insights, Scheiber turned to the American Economic Liberties Project, a nonprofit economic reform group.

"Asked how Democrats would regard lawyers like Ms. Wilkinson if the party retook the White House in 2028, the group’s executive director, Nidhi Hegde, said some establishment Democrats would most likely praise her defense of ABC against the Trump administration," Scheiber wrote. "But, Ms. Hegde said, the case didn’t wash away the stain of her work on behalf of David Ellison and Nexstar."

Hegde told Scheiber, “If Democrats are serious about actually being a party for working people, then they do really have to take seriously what she’s facilitating with the complete consolidation of media markets. There’s an inherent contradiction in being in lock step with people who facilitate this oligarchy that’s getting more and more powerful.”

Before taking on anti-Trump clients, Wilkinson was widely reviled among progressives for her role in defending Kanavaugh, which included a particularly controversial 2018 exchange between the lawyer and MS NOW (then MSNBC) anchor Katy Tur.

Wilkinson was asked about one of the women who accused Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, “Are you calling her a liar?”

Wilkinson replied that while she was “not calling her a liar," she was suspicious that the victim's attorney Michael Avenatti “never went to the police," then added “if I had represented her, it would have been my duty to go to the police immediately.”

Tur then asked if Kavanaugh believes “any of the women who have came out and accused (President Trump) of sexual misconduct.”

Wilkinson responded, “I don’t know what that has to do with this. I’ve never discussed that with him. We’re talking about what’s happening here. And I came today to be on your program to tell you exactly what he believes and what we know. And that’s it. I’m not here to make political arguments and comment on what the president said or didn’t say.”