Good morning. It is Sunday, May 25th, the 126th day of Donald Trump's second term,

and a crucial moment in his testing of a precious American institution. When we talk about

the rule of law, we imagine it as a constant, something that stands above

partisanship, above politics, and beyond the nefarious influence of any one individual.

We think of it, perhaps, or at least we used to think of it, as the invisible infrastructure

that keeps our complex system of democracy in check.

But today, that foundational view of the role of the courts is under direct assault

from the chief executive of the United States. On his first day back in office, Donald Trump

pardoned or commuted the sentences of more than 1,500 January 6th rioters. Soon after, he fired

prosecutors who, as part of their jobs, moved to hold him accountable for his

role in the violent attempt to overturn the 2020 election, the one in which those now pardoned rioters

had been involved. And now Trump and his administration have launched its most aggressive escalation yet,

a targeted campaign against the very people who safeguard our legal system,

judges and lawyers. This is no longer just about lashing out at college protesters or heckling

critics on social media. This is a war on the rule of law itself. Trump officials have

openly attacked federal judges who ruled against him, calling for their impeachment and

introducing legislation

to strip lower court judges of the power to issue nationwide injunctions, and in doing so,

subjecting these judges and their families to a wave of threats and intimidation from Trump's

MAGA base. Such as rhetoric, these are strategic moves designed to discredit and erode public trust in the judiciary.

The administration crossed from words to action when FBI agents arrested the Wisconsin state judge Hannah Dugan at her own courthouse in Milwaukee for allegedly allowing an undocumented immigrant who was in her courtroom on misdemeanor charges to exit the court through a jury door

instead of the main entrance. The Trump administration says she was trying to help the man evade

...