The Long Harm of the Law

“It was a common enough example of second-term Trump theater-in-the-Oval. But it was also a diorama of the administration’s lopsided power dynamic between a president bent on controlling federal law enforcement and appointees unwilling or unable to fight for the historic independence of their institutions.” Trump keeps naming new targets for his weaponized institutions to target. And they keep doing it. As Jack Smith, one of his latest targets, explains: “Nothing like what we see now has ever gone on.” So we sure as hell better not normalize the behavior (or our coverage of it). NYT (Gift Article): Trump Names More Foes He Wants Prosecuted as Bondi and Patel Look On.

+ Here’s a recent conversation between two of Trump’s enemies. Andrew Weissmann and Jack Smith.

+ Trump isn’t just turning formerly independent government institutions against individuals he considers enemies. He’s looking to wipe out the infrastructure of organizations that oppose him (often by promoting democratic norms). WSJ Gift Article): Trump Team Plans IRS Overhaul to Enable Pursuit of Left-Leaning Groups. “The Trump administration is preparing sweeping changes at the Internal Revenue Service that would allow the agency to pursue criminal inquiries of left-leaning groups more easily, according to people familiar with the matter. A senior IRS official involved in the effort has drawn up a list of potential targets that includes major Democratic donors.”