This is Brian Lair's Daily Politics podcast from WNYC Studios.

It's Tuesday, July 1st.

I'm Bridget Bergen, in for Brian today.

On Friday, the Supreme Court handed down blockbuster decisions for its last few

outstanding regular cases of the term. All told, the court gave Trump a raft of unprecedented

victories that will expand his executive power while narrowing the power of judges and litigants

to challenge him. All three of Friday's most anticipated cases were

decided six to three, neatly down ideological lines. The six-member conservative supermajority

controlled the outcome of each case. Far on the outskirts is Liberal Justice Katanji

Brown Jackson, the newest member of the court.

Like she has in many recent cases, she penned a lone dissent in the birthright citizenship case,

putting the stark implications of the court's decision in plain English.

Joining us now to help orient us in this moment is Ruth Marcus, a contributor to the New Yorker,

a former columnist for the Washington Post,

and the author of Supreme Ambition, Brett Kavanaugh and the Conservative Takeover. Ruth,

welcome to the show. Thank you for having me. Ruth, let's start big picture. In an essay back in May,

you wrote that the Trump administration's goal with its executive orders,

quote, seems less to win in the end than to inflict as much damage as possible along the way.

Given these recent rulings, can you take stock of some of that damage?

Oh, a lot of damage is happening.

Some of it has been averted.

The court, the Supreme Court and the lower courts have stepped in sometimes,

...