In May, The Atlantic shared an article by Andrew O’Donohue, discussing the administration’s legal strategy and the pattern of democratic backsliding globally.
“Donald Trump’s attacks on the courts lack recent precedent in the United States, but they follow a clear pattern seen in backsliding democracies around the world. In many countries, when political leaders challenge the courts, the end result isn’t merely a win in a single policy dispute. These attacks have a deeper, more destructive effect: They systematically weaken the courts as a check on the executive’s power—opening the door for governments to abuse that power to target opponents and endanger democracy.
“This fight takes place both inside and, importantly, outside the courtroom, in the arena of the public’s opinion. Even though citizens generally agree that governments should obey court orders, several would-be authoritarians—such as those in Turkey, Mexico, and El Salvador—have managed to defy the courts, while keeping the public on their side. The interesting question is not why these leaders seek to turn public opinion against the judiciary—that much is obvious—but how they do it.”
Read the full article: Trump’s Legal Strategy Has a Name