Who knows what will come of Trump’s threat to cut off trade with Spain? But we normally run a trade surplus with Spain, so shutting down trade would worsen our balance of payments.

Is it an "own goal" that, by pushing FIFA to allow Folarin Balogun to play yesterday, Trump deprived himself of the opportunity to blame a U.S. loss on Balogun's nonparticipation?

Just as the Atlantic piece saw Slaughter as the triumph of Reaganite unitary executive theory, this places it in the context of other decisions that limit the range and impact of legislative power. After Slaughter, the idea of 3 co-equal branches seems shaky. washingtonmonthly.com/2026/06/30/t....

My new piece on The Atlantic website identifies yesterday’s opinion in Trump v. Slaughter—the FTC presidential removal case—as the ultimate, longed-for triumph of the Reaganite unitary executive champions. Abuses of power expected shortly. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

An administration proud of our diversity, awed by American achievements in art, science, music, and literature, and appreciative of how immigrants have shaped our nation would have put on a grand celebration for our 250th instead of whatever the heck is going on in D.C.

As much as I love this response, @ringwiss.bsky.social, who gets deep into the parliamentary weeds, tracked this and it appears that presentation did not occur Wednesday morning.

Serious questions: The NYT is reporting that Johnson "will" deliver the housing bill to the WH and start the clock for signature or veto. But didn't the House Clerk present it to the White House on Wed., morning before Trump called off signing? Didn't that start the clock? @joshchafetz.bsky.social?

Hypothetically: "Justice Alito has four opinions."

Despite canceling his ceremony, if the "21st Century ROAD to Housing Act" was presented to Trump for signature today (June 24), it will become law (unless vetoed) by July 6 whether or not he signs it. U.S. Const., Art. I, Sec. 7.

Please post a link to the written remarks when available.

It certainly doesn't reflect well on Trump.

Regarding the lie that enslaved Africans needed white overseers to teach them how to do stuff: it was the West Africans who taught the whites how to grow rice and indigo, which made South Carolina the wealthiest of the British colonies in North America before the Revolution.

Trump, being Trump, could not resist fantasizing about the Italian PM, who apparently is the one G7 leader unprepared to pretend fawning admiration for him. And Trump, being Trump, can't take it when a woman rejects or criticizes him. And thus, once again, is the U.S. embarrassed on the world stage.

Iran is awarding him the FAFO Peace Prize.

The deaths this week of Robert Coles and Gordon Wood have measurably lowered the average intellect of the English-speaking world.

To a narcissist, all attention is experienced as positive.

What about Ted Nugent and any number of testosterone-infused bands that turn out to be Nazis?

He is the signatory also of the laughably bad OLC opinion asserting the Presidential Records Act is unconstitutional. Among its patent flaws are treating the PRA as if enacted as part of Congress's oversight powers and neglecting Congress's explicit Article IV power to regulate government property.

And Trump presents a worst case scenario because he recognizes no difference between the office and himself as a temporary incumbent. He executes only his own will.

Isn’t this in direct violation of 31 USC 5114(b)? “Only the portrait of a drceased individual may apoear on United States currency and securities.” www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...

Amid much discussion about the potential political fallout from gutting the VRA, what’s missing is the outrage that the Court, from Shelby County on, has usurped Congress’s explicit authority to decide on what legislation is appropriate for enforcing the 14th and 15th Ams. Not the original plan.

Seems surprising that Congress got a powerfully delivered “No Kings” message from (checks notes) King Charles III. www.huffpost.com/entry/latest...

Last month, I published an essay on the conservative divide over "major questions doctrine," as displayed in Trump's tariff loss, and how it might defeat his civil service shenanigans. I am grateful to Touro Law for inviting me to share the thoughts in podcast form. www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1OV...

He plans to explain the Quran to his Iranian counterparts,

If @theatlantic.com pays even one dime to settle this BS, it will lose subscribers. Get discovery, people!

So much for Hamilton’s description of the Court as lacking “will.” www.nytimes.com/2026/04/18/u...

Turns out April 12 is not January 6. Congratulations to the people of Hungary!

Enjoyed spending half an hour discussing the precarious state of checks and balances with Brian Endless, filling in for Edwin Eisendrath, on yesterday’s broadcast of “It’s the Democracy, Stupid,” on WCPT out of Chicago. omny.fm/shows/democr...

Poetry can say it all.

I still don't understand how he lasted past the Access Hollywood tape or his public belittling of Serge Kovaleski's disability.

It is the American civilization he is killing, one norm of decency, empathy, and accountability at a time.

And in related news, "FEMA Hires Crackpot as Associate Administrator of its Office of Response and Recovery." www.nytimes.com/2026/04/03/u...

With amazing hubris, the Justice Department OLC has declared the Presidential Records Act of 1978 unconstitutional--even though the Supreme Court upheld the earlier statute on which it was expressly modeled. The opinion's issuance on April Fool's Day fits. If only. www.justice.gov/olc/media/14...

It is almost worth having Alan Dershowitz spew constitutional nonsense into our national conversation if it spawns rebuttals as beautifully written as this. washingtonmonthly.com/2026/04/02/a...

The other lie in the DJT post is that only the U.S. has birthright citizenship.

"There’s no military theory or really any kind of competition where the established wisdom is to cede the initiative to your opponent and then react to whatever they decide to do." Escalate on the Trump Admin’s ‘ICE at the Polls’ Plans Now talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/escal...

He doesn't even qualify for a Perfect Attendance certificate.

SCOTUS: Under the Constitution, accountability ultimately depends upon the People! Also SCOTUS: The Constitution guarantees no one’s right to vote!

But the resigning MAGA guy said it was all Israel’s fault! Saudi Prince Is Said to Push Trump to Continue Iran War in Recent Calls www.nytimes.com/2026/03/24/u...

Our constitutional lack of on any politically and institutionally plausible route towards the prompt removal of a president who daily displays a lack of the kind of character, intellect, judgment, and mental health required for responsible leadership is much to be regretted.

Lying to Congress is a felony whether or not under oath. 18 U.S.C. § 1001.

The logic behind the use of the major questions doctrine in Trump's tariff loss suggests that the three conservatives who joined the liberal Justices in denying POTUS tariff power should also oppose his attempts to politicize the civil service. washingtonmonthly.com/2026/03/18/h...

This is correct.

The idea that Israel tricked Trump into bombing Iran is pernicious and ignores Trump’s actual behavior. The “good news” is that Trump will always insist he’s the decider of everything.

Given the FCC’s role, this grossly unconstitutional threat should warrant impeachment. F.C.C. Chair Threatens to Revoke Broadcasters’ Licenses Over War Coverage www.nytimes.com/2026/03/14/w...

If you’re my age, you might have gone to the 1964 World’s Fair that imparted an optimistic view of the 21st century that didn’t mention terrorism, a pandemic, global recession, or superpowers starting wars of choice.

I did not expect to see a tribute to Rev. Jesse Jackson from Pat Boone, but found this brief statement oddly moving and hopeful in its way. youtu.be/O25DgDZqCjE?...

Does Putin have the unredacted Epstein files?

1/2 Mullin cannot be Acting Secretary of DHS. While in the Senate, he cannot hold office in the executive branch. (U.S. Const., Art. I, Sec. 6.) If he resigned the Senate to become a DHS employee, he would be eligible for appointment only after serving in DHS for 90 says. (5 U.S.C. § 3345(a)) -- and

So Noem is going to be Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas. Apparently, the Minister of Silly Walks slot is already taken.