Axios this morning:
1 big thing: The power to do almost anything
President Trump is asserting the right to unilaterally use the military wherever, whenever and be the sole judge and jury of his own actions, Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen write in a "Behind the Curtain" column.
- Why it matters: Of all the unprecedented actions, these might carry the most sweeping consequences — not just now, but for future presidents.
The new precedent is being set in real time: The only real limit on Trump appears to be Trump himself. Neither the conservative Supreme Court nor the GOP-led Congress has shown much interest in limiting this executive.
- This dynamic frees Trump to use federal troops in U.S. cities over the objection of a state's governor, or kill people overseas without war authorization or scrutiny, or prosecute his critics in U.S. courts, or seize congressional powers over tariffs and spending.
It's important to reckon with the logic behind this, which will ultimately be validated or invalidated by the Supreme Court. Future presidents will be able to claim the same power Trump does.
- Eye on what matters most: Under this theory, there's little to stop or slow ever-expanding presidential power. This pushes power away from ordinary voters, through their congressional representatives, and into the hands of one person. This theory of virtually unlimited presidential power isn't new. But it's never been stretched this far, this fast.
Behind the scenes: Some Trump appointees want more federal control of locally.....
axios.com |
