President Trump has tested the limits of presidential power since he returned to office — from his assertion of total control over federal agencies to his war in Iran. But so far, many of Trump’s most aggressive moves have been stopped by the Supreme Court.

My guest this week is Sarah Isgur, a conservative court watcher, who argues that the Supreme Court isn’t just a firewall against Donald Trump, but the real power center in American politics today.

0:00 - Intro
01:28 - Remaking the presidency: The hundred-year experiment
04:26 - Trump’s legal retribution campaign
09:15 - The Supreme Court’s strategy in the face of Trump
18:15 - “Looming" cases: Tariffs and birthright citizenship
28:23 - Supreme Court internal dynamics
43:32 - The future bench

(A full transcript of this episode is available on the Times website.)

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How the Supreme Court Defeated Trump

Interesting Times with Ross Douthat