United States | Lexington

Donald Trump is testing more than America’s constitution

The country’s very idea of itself is under stress

Donald Trump taking the gavel from the hand of a judge.
Illustration: David Simonds

There may not have been much of a common-sense argument left, let alone a legal one. Still, at least a pretence of respect for the courts clung on, in mid-March, as the Trump administration argued that it could ignore the order of a federal judge because he spoke it aloud rather than wrote it down. (Note to White House staff: do not try this excuse on the president himself.) Then on Truth Social on March 18th Donald Trump yanked the figleaf away, calling for the judge to “be IMPEACHED!!!”

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