Donald Trump’s Latest Abuses of Our Checks and Balances
In the fifth week of his presidency, President Trump has pushed the boundaries of weaponizing and abusing the power of our government to unprecedented levels. Over the past week, the Trump administration has doubled down on efforts to dismantle federal agencies, execute widespread firings of federal employees, flout court rulings, and exploit the Department of Justice to target political opponents. Yet, it is the Department of Government Efficiency that continued to make headlines this week for its lawlessness and chaos under Elon Musk. Under Musk’s leadership, the department has been embroiled in attempts to oversee regulatory processes, access taxpayer data, and promote false claims over the agency’s ‘government savings’ efforts.
Trump, Musk and the Trump-Musk administration have made it evident that they are ready to continue weakening democratic checks and balances on executive power and force through their agenda, no matter the cost.
Here are some of the lowlights of the Trump Administration’s weaponization of government this week:
Trump Administration Attacks The Legitimacy Of The Courts
Washington Post: Trump Comes Close To The Red Line Of Openly Defying Judges, Experts Say. Federal judges have blocked President Donald Trump’s attempts to freeze trillions in federal grants and loans, halt billions in foreign assistance and dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development.
But in each case, the administration has said it still has legal authority to do at least some of those things, prompting judges and those challenging Trump’s actions to accuse him of failing to comply.
Legal experts said the administration’s aggressive maneuvers have approached the red line of openly flouting court orders, as Trump and his top aides and advisers assert vast presidential powers.
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The Hill: House Republicans Plot Impeachment Against Judges Blocking Trump, DOGE.
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New York Times: Trump Team Finds Loophole to Defy Spirit of Court Orders Blocking Spending Freezes.
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Associated Press: Trump Administration Is Flouting An Order To Temporarily Lift A Freeze On Foreign Aid, Judge Says.
Trump Administration Attacks The Press
Axios: Trump: AP White House access restricted until they use “Gulf of America.” President Trump told Axios’ Marc Caputo on Tuesday that he will continue to restrict the Associated Press’ access to the White House “until such time as they agree that it’s the Gulf of America.”
Washington Post: State Dept. Orders Cancellation Of News Subscriptions Around The World. The State Department has ordered the cancellation of all news subscriptions deemed “non-mission critical,” according to internal email guidance viewed by The Washington Post. The move aligns with the Trump administration’s crackdown on media companies that count the U.S. government as paying customers.
Trump Administration Weaponizes The Department Of Justice
Trump Administration Pushes to Investigate Political Opponents
Daily Caller: House Republicans Urge Bondi To Prosecute Officials, Left-Wing Activists Subverting Deportation Efforts. GOP Reps. Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma, Andy Harris of Maryland, Eric Burlison of Missouri and Pete Sessions of Texas sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi Tuesday, exclusively obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. House Republicans’ urging the DOJ to pursue legal action against those violating federal law comes after multiple reports of left-wing organizations and elected officials colluding to help illegal migrants evade federal immigration authorities.
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Washington Post: D.C. U.S. Attorney Probing Democrats Over Alleged Threats, Documents Show
Trump Administration Fires All U.S. Attorneys Who Served Under the Biden Administration
Reuters: Trump Says He Has Instructed DOJ To Terminate All Remaining Biden-Era US Attorneys. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he has instructed the Justice Department to terminate all remaining Biden-era U.S. attorneys, asserting that the department had been “politicized like never before.”
“We must ‘clean house’ IMMEDIATELY, and restore confidence. America’s Golden Age must have a fair Justice System – THAT BEGINS TODAY,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump Administration Pushes to Drop Case on Mayor Eric Adams, Setting Precedent That Prosecution Can Be Exchanged for Favors for the President
New York Times: Justice Dept. Official Suggests That Aiding Trump Outweighs Prosecutions. A senior Justice Department official suggested Wednesday that President Trump’s administration is justified in putting aside allegations of corruption against a public official if the official cooperates with the president’s political agenda.
The Justice Department official, Emil Bove III, raised the idea during a hearing on Wednesday at which a judge asked him to explain his rationale for abandoning a corruption case against New York City’s mayor, Eric Adams.
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Wall Street Journal: Another Star U.S. Prosecutor Quits Over Eric Adams Case
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Washington Post: Justice Officials Move To Drop Adams Case After 7 Lawyers Refuse, Resign In Protest
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New York Times: In Seeking Adams Dismissal, Trump’s Appointees Use Legal System to Their Advantage
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NBC News: Top DOJ Official Offers New And Different Explanation For Dropping Charges Against Eric Adams
Trump Administration Attacks Blue States And Cities
Los Angeles Times: FEMA Rejects Call By Newsom’s Office To Test Soil In Fire Areas For Toxic Contaminants. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s chief disaster officer on Wednesday urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency to reconsider its decision to forgo post-cleanup soil testing for the Los Angeles County wildfires.
The request drew a swift response from FEMA: No.
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Washington Post: Trump Administration Revokes Approval Of NYC Congestion Toll
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Associated Press: Trump Says Federal Government Should ‘Take Over’ DC, Backing Congressional GOP Push
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Los Angeles Times: Trump Administration Launches Review Of California’s High-Speed Rail Spending
Trump Administration Attacks Federal Agencies
Trump Administration Continues Plans to Dismantle Agencies
Politico: Trump Administration Finalizing Plans To Shutter Education Department: The Trump administration is finalizing plans to dismantle the Education Department through an executive order that would build on the president’s campaign promise to hammer the longtime conservative target.
The order — which President Donald Trump is expected to sign sometime this month, according to a White House official — was expected to lay out a two-part strategy for shuttering the agency, according to two people familiar with the plans and granted anonymity to discuss them.
Trump Administration Continues Federal Worker Layoffs
New York Times: Where Trump, Musk and DOGE Have Cut Federal Workers So Far. President Trump has moved swiftly to wage his war on the federal bureaucracy, defying norms and legal limits. On Feb. 13, his administration escalated those efforts by starting to terminate most of an estimated 200,000 probationary employees, who were recently hired or promoted to a new position and have fewer protections. On Thursday, a federal judge ruled against labor unions seeking to block mass firings, allowing them to proceed.
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Washington Post: Musk’s DOGE Moves To Begin Defense Department Layoffs, Officials Say
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New York Times: I.R.S. to Begin Laying Off Roughly 6,000 Employees on Thursday
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Washington Post: These Feds Took Trump’s ‘Fork’ Deal. Then They Got Fired — Creating A Government ‘Mess.’
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Bloomberg: Commerce Agency to Order Mass Firing of Chips, AI Staffers
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Politico: Layoffs Hit Regulator For Auto And Pipeline Safety
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Washington Post: Layoffs to Hit IRS As DOGE Targets Tax Collections
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Washington Post: Records Show How DOGE Planned Trump’s DEI Purge — and Who Gets Fired Next
Trump Administration Attempts to Control Independent Agencies
Wall Street Journal: Trump Signs Order That Seeks White House Control Over Independent Agencies. The order is expected to affect a range of independent agencies, including the Federal Election Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Trade Commission. Those agencies typically are run by bipartisan panels whose members are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate for fixed terms, removable only for misconduct.
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Washington Post: Trump Expected To Take Control Of USPS, Fire Postal Board, Officials Say
More Key Headlines:
Pew Research Center: Giving Presidents, Including Trump, More Power Is ‘Too Risky,’ Americans Say
Quinnipiac: Majority Say System of Checks & Balances Not Working Well, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds
Washington Post: In Trump’s First Month, A Relentless Effort To Remake The Presidency
Washington Post: Many of Trump’s Early Actions Are Unpopular, Post-Ipsos Poll Finds
New York Times: ‘Long Live the King’: Trump Likens Himself to Royalty on Truth Social
New York Times: Trump Suggests No Laws Are Broken if He’s ‘Saving His Country’
Washington Post: Trump Again Raises Idea Of Running For An Unconstitutional Third Term
Reuters-Ipsos: Americans Worry Musk’s Campaign To Slash Government Could Hurt Services.
UNTIL NEXT WEEK…