Sarah Isgur: Trump’s harsh reactions toward the Supreme Court's tariff decision were a “gift to the Chief Justice." www.execfunctions.org/publish/post...

The Last Branch Standing Sarah Isgur on the Supreme Court and Executive Power

@jacklgoldsmith.bsky.social spoke with Sarah Isgur about her new book, Last Branch Standing. They explore the Supreme Court’s approach to executive power in the Trump era, which can be seen as both empowering and constraining the presidency in different ways. www.execfunctions.org/p/the-last-b...

DOJ’s Bleak Future and Modest Paths for Reform Both parties have a stake in reform, even if only so much can be done.

Bob Bauer on potential reform to help protect against a DOJ that answers reliably to a president’s personal and political demands. www.execfunctions.org/p/dojs-bleak...

Executive Functions Is Hiring! A paid full-time executive editor position starting this July

EF is hiring! We are seeking a paid full-time executive editor to start mid-July. www.execfunctions.org/p/executive-...

The Second Most Consequential Unilateral Use of Force in American History The Iran war is a new low in the deterioration of Congress’s check on presidential war

One month in, Epic Fury is the second most consequential unauthorized presidential uses of force in all of American history. It’s also a new nadir in the decline of Congress’s check on presidential war. Here's Bob Bauer and @jacklgoldsmith.bsky.social: www.execfunctions.org/p/the-second...

Bob Bauer on Robert Mueller's passing: Professionalism and integrity are no match for the forces of polarization. www.execfunctions.org/p/when-rober...

The Perilous War Over Legal Ethics in Government and Politics On its current course, it cannot end well.

Bob Bauer on the perilous war over legal ethics in government and politics: On its current course, it cannot end well. www.execfunctions.org/p/the-perilo...

A Different Way for Congress to Confront the President on War Powers Last week’s votes should not be the only lines Congress attempts to draw

Bob Bauer proposes Congress pass a joint resolution stating its constitutional interpretation of presidential war powers—an approach that could challenge expansive executive war-making claims when a vote to stop the Iran conflict at this stage will fail: www.execfunctions.org/p/a-differen...

Homeland Security in a Time of War with Iran Preventing retaliatory threats at home

Homeland Security in a Time of War with Iran: My discussion with Biden Homeland Security Advisor Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall on how the U.S. government would normally prepare for domestic threats during periods of heightened risk.

open.substack.com/pub/executiv...

Why Trump First Ended the Law Firm Suits, Then Didn’t We can’t know for sure, but he ended in a worse place than before

Bob Bauer analyzes DOJ's about-face on defending Trump's law firm executive orders: "If it was possible to bring even more discredit to this attack on the legal profession, the administration managed to do it over a span of less than 24 hours."
www.execfunctions.org/p/why-trump-...

Trump’s Coming Confrontation with the Courts Over the Elections In a conflict with the courts over the midterm elections, it is a mistake to assume that Trump would eventually stand down.

It is a mistake to assume that Trump would eventually stand down in a conflict with the courts over the midterm elections, Bob Bauer writes. www.execfunctions.org/p/trumps-com...

Quick Thoughts on the Tariff Decision and the President's Angry Reaction A massive defeat for the president and an extraordinary affirmation of the Supreme Court's power.

My thoughts on the Tariff Decision and the President's angry reaction, which affirmed the remarkable power of the Court.
open.substack.com/pub/executiv...

The Bad News in the D.C. Grand Jury’s Refusal to Indict Six Members of Congress It did the right thing, but Trump’s targeting of members of Congress should prompt legal reform.

It is reassuring that a D.C. grand jury rejected the administration's attempt to indict six members of Congress. But, Bob Bauer argues, Trump’s targeting of lawmakers should prompt legal reform. www.execfunctions.org/p/the-bad-ne...

The Federal Court Snapback The judiciary, including the Supreme Court, is standing up to the president

My take, building on arguments by James Comey, on the extraordinary degree to which federal courts, including the Supreme Court, have successfully checked the Trump administration in the last year.

open.substack.com/pub/executiv...

Yet Another Sign that the Trump Administration is Laying the Groundwork for Election Intervention? DOJ may be retreating from long-standing internal constraints on federal government intervention in elections.

Bob Bauer on how a now-missing DOJ manual may signal the administration's retreat from long-standing internal constraints on federal government intervention in elections: www.execfunctions.org/p/yet-anothe...

Yet Another Sign that the Trump Administration is Laying the Groundwork for Election Intervention? DOJ may be retreating from long-standing internal constraints on federal government intervention in elections.

Bob Bauer on how a now-missing DOJ manual may signal the administration's retreat from long-standing internal constraints on federal government intervention in elections: www.execfunctions.org/p/yet-anothe...

Is the Administration Prepared to Deploy ICE to Police This Fall’s Elections? There are good reasons for the question, and Congress should press now for the answer

"This is the right time to press the administration for its answers, on the record, about potential uses of ICE in this election year." Bob Bauer: www.execfunctions.org/p/is-the-adm...

How Donald Trump Can Continue to Make Billions in Office He rightly judges the political costs to be manageable, but this could change.

Bob Bauer: How Donald Trump Can Continue to Make Billions in Office www.execfunctions.org/p/how-donald...

Does It Matter That the Administration Prepared a Legal Opinion on Venezuela? Likely not—but it should be released, along with answers about process

Bob Bauer: Does It Matter That the Administration Prepared a Legal Opinion on Venezuela? www.execfunctions.org/p/does-it-ma...

"Law is the language through which we criticize presidential uses of war powers."🔗 www.execfunctions.org/p/law-and-th...

On the Legality of the Venezuela Invasion Executive branch precedents can be garnered to support the action—which does not, of course, mean that it is lawful.

My quick take on the legality of the Venezuela invasion.

open.substack.com/pub/executiv...

Trump's Impact on Executive Power, Eleven Months In Our assessment on Executive Functions' First Anniversary

“Trump has definitely changed the presidency and the country. But not yet as much as it seems to many.” — Bob Bauer and
@jacklgoldsmith.bsky.social: open.substack.com/pub/executiv...

Catching Up, Keeping Track Pardons, Transparency Struggles and Law Firm Extortion.

Today's chat: Jack and Bob discuss the latest developments across three ongoing issues in Trump’s second term: pardons, transparency disputes, and the the administration's campaign against major law firms.
www.execfunctions.org/p/catching-u...

My discussion with Alan Rozenshtein on Executive Power in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Bureaucracy and the presidential "oracle"
www.execfunctions.org/p/executive-...

Executive Functions Is Hiring! Spring and summer interns

We are seeking part-time spring and summer interns to assist with editorial, research, and production tasks.
www.execfunctions.org/p/executive-...

The Boat Strike Presidency Trump’s model of the presidency both explains his boat strike troubles and how he will deal with them.

Bob Bauer writes that Trump's model of the presidency both explains his boat strike troubles and how he will deal with them. Read "The Boat Strike Presidency" here: www.execfunctions.org/p/the-boat-s...

A Dishonorable Strike: Indulging all assumptions in favor of the administration’s boat strikes, killing helpless men is murder,
@jacklgoldsmith.bsky.social writes. www.execfunctions.org/p/a-dishonor...

After a Strategic Retreat, Trump Has Many Moves Left to Prevent Release of the Epstein Records After the House vote, he can resume playing hardball—and the preservation of the records during this fight is a real question.

Trump’s reversal on the House Epstein records vote does not foreclose other avenues he can use to limit or delay disclosure, and the preservation of records remains an open question. Bob Bauer explains: www.execfunctions.org/p/after-a-st...

The Stakes in the Supreme Court Mail Ballot Case It is a weak case, but it is best seen as part of a larger strategic effort to change how election rules are made.

Bob Bauer: The mail-in ballot case now before the Supreme Court is weak on the merits—but part of a broader push to change how federal election rules are made. www.execfunctions.org/p/the-stakes...

What are we living through? David Pozen joined @jacklgoldsmith.bsky.social to discuss Pozen's recent Boston Review essay with Jedediah Britton-Purdy exploring three competing narratives of Trump 2.0. www.execfunctions.org/p/what-are-w...