Source: Washington Monthly
by Garrett Epps
“One prof I know likes to answer students’ yes-or-no questions by saying something like, ‘The short answer is ‘yes’ and the long answer is ‘no.’’ Asinine as it may seem, that is often the correct answer in legal matters: rules from a distance may seem straightforward and strict, but as a lawyer or court draws closer, they dissolve into an abstract pattern of unconnected dots that no one can decipher, much less enforce. The Supreme Court has been giving this kind of answer on fraught occasions for virtually all of American history — and it has given that answer to challenges to Donald Trump’s ascent: boldly proclaiming the rule of law while noting that there may be a very particular reason why this particular rule can’t be quite, you know, enforced just so at present. Like a Magic 8 Ball, the Court may suggest we ‘Ask Again Later.'” (04/21/25)
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2025/04/21/is-the-supreme-court-standing-up-to-trump/