With the deluge of news about the Trump administration’s actions and orders, hosts Andrew Weissmann and Mary McCord zoom out to talk through what seems to be the overarching goal here- to clear out all opposition and have a presidency unbound by law. As former officials at the Justice Department and the FBI, they have a clear-eyed view on the broad swath of firings and how this wrecking ball approach will be litigated in court as challenges mount. Then, Andrew and Mary give some legal context to Trump’s attempt to cut off congressional aid, both through the funding freeze that already has several temporary restraining orders, and the ongoing news involving attempts to dismantle USAID by Trump and Musk.

Further reading: Here is Mary’s piece in Just Security asking the Senate to get answers from Bondi and Patel: From Pardons to Purges: Pressing Questions that Bondi and Patel Must Answer Now

And this is the article Andrew and Mary referenced in this episode from Adam Cox and Trevor Morrison, also on Just Security: Trump’s Dictatorial Theory of Presidential Power – What the Executive Orders, in the Aggregate, Tell Us

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