Hi there, everyone. We made it to Friday. It's 4 o'clock in New York. The Trump administration admitting the quiet part out loud in a Manhattan courthouse Thursday, saying that they do indeed believe Donald Trump is king,

that every public servant in the federal government is there to serve Donald Trump and Donald Trump only.

That apparently includes those responsible for upholding the most fundamentally nonpartisan and small D democratic principle

there is, and that is the rule of law. That stunning public admission came in a hearing

in a lawsuit filed by Maureen Comey. She is a former federal prosecutor. She's also the daughter

of former director of the FBI, Trump critic Jim Comey. She alleges that she was fired

illegally, either largely or entirely, because of her family name. Politico is reporting this on that

hearing Thursday, quote, DOJ lawyer Karen Les Perence said at the pretrial hearing that Maureen Comey's firing was valid, quote,

even if there were political motivations, even if there were political motivations.

Okay. A reminder, Maureen Comey says she was fired after her dad posted on Instagram,

an image of beach shells that were shaped in the formation of four letters,

8647. He took it down almost immediately, but Donald Trump and his allies jumped on it,

claiming it was some sort of threat. Jim Comey was indicted for that post on your screen right now

last month. But after the post, right-wing influencer and

Trump ally Laura Lumer started to beat the drum to pressure then Attorney General Pam Bondi

to fire Maureen Comey. So in Comey's telling, political motivations are the entire reason why she was subsequently fired.

And now, Trump's DOJ is arguing that even if that's the case, it's somehow acceptable.

Politico reports that the judge pressed DOJ on that claim, on the claim that Trump can fire anyone based on politics.

Could the president, for example, decide to fire people in order to achieve an all-white executive branch or all-black, he asked.

Justice Department Attorney Karen Les Perens stammered in response, finally saying, quote,

I can't answer on behalf of the government.

Furman replied, quote, you are here representing

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