The notion of three co-equal branches of government as established by the first three articles of the U.S. Constitution — legislative, executive and judicial — apparently does not suit the Trump administration.
Vice President Mike Pence made that clear In a speech to the conservative Federalist Society Wednesday in Washington.
The administration is already wrestling with Congress, or at least the House, controlled by the Democrats. Now, Pence says, it will take on the federal courts, especially district courts that have issued nationwide injunctions against Trump policies.
In his speech, Pence argued that nationwide injunctions issued by federal judges “prevent the executive branch from acting, compromising our national security by obstructing the lawful ability of the president to stop threats to the homeland where he sees them,” the Associated Press reports.
He said the administration will actively seek opportunities to put this question before the Supreme Court, with its conservative majority, “to ensure that decisions affecting every American are made either by those elected to represent the American people or by the highest court in the land.”
“Trump has long railed against district courts, especially the 9th Circuit, for blocking his initiatives, including efforts to overhaul the nation’s immigration system,” the AP says, noting that an unnamed White House official said the administration “would be looking for potential relevant cases to press the issue.”
Speaking at a rally Wednesday night in Florida, Trump denounced “activist judges who issue nationwide injunctions based on their personal beliefs undermine democracy and threaten the rule of law.”
