Mona Charen

And unfortunately, as Steve and I talked about, the Congress has been shoveling power out the door now for decades. They have been creating agencies, creating laws that give all of the discretion about how things should be done to executive agencies. Okay, so that is a huge problem because if you get an irresponsible president, he has already been given vast discretion.

So, for example, on tariffs, all he has to do is say, well, it's a national emergency or it's a matter of national security, and therefore I have to impose steel tariffs on Canada. Like, you know, that dangerous country to our north, our severe enemy. With their beady little eyes. Exactly. So there's that. There's the fact that they have given him all of this power.

So, for example, on tariffs, all he has to do is say, well, it's a national emergency or it's a matter of national security, and therefore I have to impose steel tariffs on Canada. Like, you know, that dangerous country to our north, our severe enemy. With their beady little eyes. Exactly. So there's that. There's the fact that they have given him all of this power.

So, for example, on tariffs, all he has to do is say, well, it's a national emergency or it's a matter of national security, and therefore I have to impose steel tariffs on Canada. Like, you know, that dangerous country to our north, our severe enemy. With their beady little eyes. Exactly. So there's that. There's the fact that they have given him all of this power.

But now, Tim, we are in a totally new world where not only is he being incredibly aggressive about the powers that he definitely has, but he is being unbelievably transgressive in seizing powers that he definitely does not have, at least he didn't under our system. And we're at a moment of truth, honestly, getting right to the nub of it because we're

But now, Tim, we are in a totally new world where not only is he being incredibly aggressive about the powers that he definitely has, but he is being unbelievably transgressive in seizing powers that he definitely does not have, at least he didn't under our system. And we're at a moment of truth, honestly, getting right to the nub of it because we're

But now, Tim, we are in a totally new world where not only is he being incredibly aggressive about the powers that he definitely has, but he is being unbelievably transgressive in seizing powers that he definitely does not have, at least he didn't under our system. And we're at a moment of truth, honestly, getting right to the nub of it because we're

If there is no resistance in the courts and in public opinion to his attempts to simply rewrite laws unilaterally, decide how to spend federal funds on his own say-so, even though Congress has already passed and appropriated funds for a particular purpose, then our republic... is, let us say, it's transformed. I don't want to say it's over, but it's pretty damn serious.

If there is no resistance in the courts and in public opinion to his attempts to simply rewrite laws unilaterally, decide how to spend federal funds on his own say-so, even though Congress has already passed and appropriated funds for a particular purpose, then our republic... is, let us say, it's transformed. I don't want to say it's over, but it's pretty damn serious.

If there is no resistance in the courts and in public opinion to his attempts to simply rewrite laws unilaterally, decide how to spend federal funds on his own say-so, even though Congress has already passed and appropriated funds for a particular purpose, then our republic... is, let us say, it's transformed. I don't want to say it's over, but it's pretty damn serious.

So there are two aspects of this. First is, what will the Supreme Court do regarding these assertions of presidential power? Will they become creative and expand presidential scope as they did with the immunity decision? Or will they put their feet down, their collective 18 feet, and say, no, no, I mean, you know, we do, after all, have other branches of government and you can't just trample

So there are two aspects of this. First is, what will the Supreme Court do regarding these assertions of presidential power? Will they become creative and expand presidential scope as they did with the immunity decision? Or will they put their feet down, their collective 18 feet, and say, no, no, I mean, you know, we do, after all, have other branches of government and you can't just trample

So there are two aspects of this. First is, what will the Supreme Court do regarding these assertions of presidential power? Will they become creative and expand presidential scope as they did with the immunity decision? Or will they put their feet down, their collective 18 feet, and say, no, no, I mean, you know, we do, after all, have other branches of government and you can't just trample

What they've done. So that's the first question. And Steve Vladeck was more bullish than some people that are in our orbit about the chances there. He also, along with David French, thinks, look, you know, the court did push back a lot on Trump in the first Trump term. Yeah. And he does think that there's some, you know, some spine, some steely determination there.

What they've done. So that's the first question. And Steve Vladeck was more bullish than some people that are in our orbit about the chances there. He also, along with David French, thinks, look, you know, the court did push back a lot on Trump in the first Trump term. Yeah. And he does think that there's some, you know, some spine, some steely determination there.

What they've done. So that's the first question. And Steve Vladeck was more bullish than some people that are in our orbit about the chances there. He also, along with David French, thinks, look, you know, the court did push back a lot on Trump in the first Trump term. Yeah. And he does think that there's some, you know, some spine, some steely determination there.

I think it's not too much to say. That's his view. I told him, look, I would have said that before the immunity decision, but now my confidence in their fealty to the Constitution has been really badly shaken. That's the first piece. We'll see. Will they actually assert the primacy of the constitutional system? And then the second question, which is maybe as big or bigger, is will Trump obey?

I think it's not too much to say. That's his view. I told him, look, I would have said that before the immunity decision, but now my confidence in their fealty to the Constitution has been really badly shaken. That's the first piece. We'll see. Will they actually assert the primacy of the constitutional system? And then the second question, which is maybe as big or bigger, is will Trump obey?

I think it's not too much to say. That's his view. I told him, look, I would have said that before the immunity decision, but now my confidence in their fealty to the Constitution has been really badly shaken. That's the first piece. We'll see. Will they actually assert the primacy of the constitutional system? And then the second question, which is maybe as big or bigger, is will Trump obey?

He did in the first term. He obeyed the court's orders perfectly. If he doesn't, this time around, if he, in obedience to what J.D. Vance recommended, right? J.D. Vance said he should just say to the court, you've made your decision, now enforce it, a la President Jackson, who probably never said that, but that's never mind.