Donald & the Courts — and More

May 29/30, 2025

“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”

George Orwell, “1984”

In the last two days, Donald John has lost in court and won in court so many times that the financial markets don’t whether to defecate or go blind. First, a three judge panel of the federal international trade court yesterday found Donald’s tariffs to be illegal and unconstitutional and ordered them stopped. The market bounced. Then, railing against “unelected judges” staging a “coup” against the executive branch stopping him from doing what he wants to do when he wants to do it, he appealed. That the judiciary is an independent and coequal branch and that he is not a king and is required to, despite whatever he thinks or prefers, follow the law and the Constitution seems to escape him. Nonetheless, on Thursday afternoon the appeals court granted him a reprieve in the form of temporary hold on the trade court’s decision while it hears the appeal. The market eked out a win but the Asian markets are down.

But now, after having called judges who rule against him, “Scum who hate America,” Donald John has asked the Supremes to bless his desire to send (deport is no longer the right word) noncitizens who have been convicted of violent crimes to prison in nations other than either the United States or their home countries. Yet another step towards turning the United States into a police state.

In just four short months, Trump and his Toadies have turned the United States from a Mecca for foreign who have enriched us intellectually into a country foreign students are afraid to go to as Marco Rubio (Caius Marcus Rubius) stated that the State Department is actively revoking the student visas of Chinese nationals in this country to study — whatever. Imagine being a PhD candidate who, having completed your dissertation just need to defend it to get your degree and are even contemplating staying here when ICE shows up and sends you to wherever — not China.

When Heather Cox Richardson writes the following, you know it’s confusing. Excelsior!

“I’m home tonight, after a long time away, and am just too tired to make sense of today’s news.”

Heather Cox Richardson, May 29, 2025

It’s now Friday, May 30th — traditional Memorial Day. And what would have been my parent’s 88th anniversary. This is them in May, 1937, out dancing before their wedding. Dad was just 21 and mom still 19 a couple of weeks or so before her 20th birthday.