Judicial-Executive Show Down?
Trump continues to try to distract
Working on various projects —mostly my documentary—I kept thinking about what to write today in this space. Then I went swimming, and as the laps went by, I thought I might say to you: I don’t know what to write about. At times, I think my job is to amuse you, tell you things about drawing, cartoons, or The New Yorker (I planned to write about the 100th anniversary today, but will do that later in the week)… or is my job to tell you some news. Many of you have expressed your appreciation for my aggregations. I promise I will mix it up, share in what we are all going through. I also decided to go live, and will do that in a half hour…. and draw.
Some news today.
A federal judge in Rhode Island ruled moments ago that Trump administration has defied orders to unfreeze billions of dollars in grants. This is a a day after social media post by Vice President JD Vance claimed that “judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.” There are currently 40 lawsuits against Trump’s actions in the first three weeks in office. The judge’s ruling, John McConnell, may spark a stand-off between the judicial and executive branches and send us into a constitutional crisis. After the ruling, the Trump administration fired back: “Each executive order will hold up in court because every action of the Trump-Vance administration is completely lawful,” said Harrison Fields, a White House spokesman. “Any legal challenge against it is nothing more than an attempt to undermine the will of the American people.”
The judge’s ruling today was ostensibly a nudge to comply. If they don’t, I am not sure what happens next. Here is the article in The Guardian.
Additionally from The Guardian, the Trump administration is still dismantling USAID, despite a court order to stop the laying off of thousands of people.
“The Trump administration confirmed to The Associated Press that it had taken USAID off the lease of the building, which it had occupied for decades. USAID’s eviction from its headquarters marks the latest in the swift dismantling of the aid agency and its programs by President Donald Trump and his billionaire ally, Elon Musk. Both have targeted agency spending that they call wasteful and accuse its work around the world of being out of line with Trump’s agenda. A steady stream of agency staffers — dressed in business clothes or USAID sweatshirts or T-shirts — were told by a front desk officer Monday that he had a list of no more than 10 names of people allowed to enter the building. Tarps covered USAID’s interior signs.
A man who earlier identified himself as a USAID official took a harsher tone, telling staffers “just go” and “why are you here?”
USAID staff were denied entry to their offices to retrieve belongings and were told the lease had been turned over to the General Services Administration, which manages federal government buildings.
A GSA spokesperson confirmed that USAID had been removed from the lease and the building would be repurposed for other government uses.
This is very wrong.
A lawsuit filed by 19 state attorneys general, led by Letitia James, Attorney General of New York, seeks to block Trump and Musk’s access to the Treasury Departments payment system. Trump claims he has the right, as executive branch, to have employees given access to sensitive payment systems and related data. The lawsuit claims it challenges the Constitution’s separation of powers, under which Congress determines government spending.
A U.S. district judge in Manhattan, Paul A. Engelmayer, in an emergency ruling early Saturday morning, ordered such officials who had been granted access to the systems since Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, to “immediately destroy any and all copies of material downloaded from the Treasury Department’s records and systems.” A hearing is set for Friday.
I am feeling confident that the judicial branch and democrats are doing what they can to challange Trump, but worry about the Supreme Court if/when these cases go there.
How are you doing?
See you shortly on the live broadcast, or tomorrow. I will share the broadcast so you can watch it if you can’t join today. Thanks again for being here!
The firings or pushings-out or whatever we call it are bad enough, but why do they have to be so dismissive, rude, mean, cruel... hateful about how they go about it? If you really felt you had to downsize the work force, you could be respectful about it, honoring their service, you know... decent. The hate is the point. It's meant to terrorize us. And it's meant to attempt to keep us from sympathizing with the victims. I hope the media begins to focus on the victims soon. Their stories may be one of the few ways to turn the tide, because emotion is the weapon, and the shield.
Every time I hear, or read, the phrase, “Will of the American People,” to justify anything, I can only shake my head in disgust and disbelief.
For me, it runs a close second behind the “Will of God”.