If there is a single trend that has brought us from the scary dictatorial pomp and power of Donald Trump on Jan. 20 to the corrupt, clownish chaos of his administration today, it is Trump’s struggles with the law—above all with the Supreme Court. On Friday, he suffered another blow…and he knows it:
In a 7-2 decision that represents the latest in a virtually uninterrupted streak of failures for him at the High Court, it ruled that deportees must be given real due process–even alleged gang members. The Trump authoritarian approach of “notice roughly 24 hours before removal, devoid of information about how to exercise due process rights to contest that removal, surely does not pass muster.”
One of the advantages of doing this weekly column on the state of our democracy and The Contrarian’s coverage of it is that it forces me to lift my eyes off the trees and take a look at the sprawling forest. Well, here the forest consists of over 160 court orders checking Trump, of which this is only the latest. We’ve never seen anything like Trump's illegality—or the pushback on it, including from all of his own appointees (in this latest decision).
I had to laugh on Friday when I saw this X thread complaining about the frequency of Trump's court failures from a Stephen Miller-founded, Trump-aligned organization. They kvetch as if the disproportionate number of reversals compared to other presidents were caused by anti-Trump animus! To paraphrase my friend James Carville, it’s the illegality, stupid.
The latest SCOTUS deportation decision also offered an answer to a question looming like an ominous haze over this forest of court orders that has sprung up over the past 117 days: what will we do if Trump and his administration defy them? I wrote about this problem in the latest entry in my Contrarian series on How Courts Can Get Trump to Obey the Law. But the truth is Trump and his cronies already are defying court orders. Perhaps the most outrageous example of this is the failure to facilitate the return of the wrongly deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia, despite the courts, including SCOTUS, ordering it. The administration is going through the motions and pretending to comply, and Trump himself admitted he could simply pick up the phone and do it. Yet he hasn't, despite the High Court’s order.
Friday the Court gave its answer: “The Government has represented elsewhere that it is unable to provide for the return of an individual deported in error to a prison in El Salvador, see Abrego Garcia v. Noem…where it is alleged that detainees face indefinite detention…. The detainees' interests at stake are accordingly particularly weighty.” And the Supreme Court went on to base its decision on those interests. In other words, the majority is using the Trump regime’s injustice and defiance against them as the basis for its ruling that due process is required.
That is perhaps the ultimate judicial judo flip of Trump in a week—indeed in 117 days— full of them. It landed with a resounding thump as the case led the headlines in the United States and made news around the world. And we not only covered it at The Contrarian with a real-time live analysis hosted by me along with expert guests Steve Vladeck and Katie Phang…but all of you paid subscribers played a role in supporting the outcome! Since we're not owned by anybody, all profits support Katie and my litigation over at the Democracy Defenders Fund. That litigation includes our Supreme Court briefing on behalf of a coalition of conservatives who oppose Donald Trump’s abuse of the Alien Enemies Act. If you are not a paid subscriber, please consider becoming one.
Of course, that was not the only big case that SCOTUS heard this week. There was also the birthright citizenship argument, focused not on the merits of Trump's attack on this constitutional provision but on the question of whether individual district records can establish nationwide injunctions or not. In What’s Happening at the Supreme Court? our friends Harry Litman and Steve Vladeck cut through the noise to share the complexities of what went down on the first day of oral arguments. (This is another area where you Contrarians are helping to enforce the Constitution, supporting the litigation as I noted here.)
As important as those SCOTUS goings-on were, so much more happened this week and we reported on it all, including on our newest streaming show…
We were thrilled this week to debut a new weekly program: The Tea with April Ryan! Catch April and guests every Thursday at 5pm ET, live on Substack, as she serves unfiltered insights from one of the longest-running careers in the White House press corps. This week she was with Former New Orleans mayor & President of the National Urban League Marc Morial, brewing up a pot of smart takes on policy and econ. It's essential viewing.
The Judiciary vs. The Joker
Before leaving for her vacation, Jen made sure to debunk Stephen Miller’s ludicrous claim/threat that the writ of habeas corpus is a “privilege” rather than the legal right it has always been. No, it's not. But Trump and his Henchmen lash out when they lose… Once again, the courts were having none of it this week but
Michael Scherer, Ali Vitali, and Charlie Sykes joined Harry Litman for this week’s “Talking Feds,” Third Term Threat, to discuss a week that brought a series of stinging court defeats for Trump. At issue: is Trump adjusting his approach of flagrant disregard for constitutional limits, or is he just erratic?
A Trump executive order takes a sledgehammer to key civil rights tool. Austin Sarat wrote for us on Trump superseding Congressional and Judicial authority—again—in an attempt to dismantle longstanding civil rights guardrails. “The president is using laws intended to prevent discrimination against those who have historically been its targets as a vehicle for channeling white grievance.”
Something’s rotten at the Supreme Court: Leah Litman and Jen Rubin discussed the lawlessness embraced by conservative justices. The conservative wing of the Supreme Court is running on something even more legally suspect than ideology…vibes. “Sam Alito is always going to be convinced that the most persecuted person in the United States is him or Donald Trump.”
The New Battleground for 2028 As algorithms replace airwaves, wrote Olivia Julianna, the real battle for power is happening online—and both sides know it. It’s an open question as to which party will win the influencer primary and optimize for the new digital democratic battleground.
Planes, Pencils, and Doll-ratioing
This week’s Democracy Index captures a massive topic: the fallout of Trump’s most nakedly corrupt deal—for the sky palace that will serve as both Air Force One and later as a centerpiece of his library—it’s a gift from which even his allies are recoiling.
Jen responded to this hypocrisy by proposing we eliminate “needs” in our latest installment of Words & Phrases We Can Do Without. It’s another word that Trump and the GOP have twisted out of recognition. As he scrambles to justify the unfolding tariff debacle, our own robber baron in chief suddenly has a lot of opinions on the number of pencils and dolls (and healthcare) the rest of us “need.” Meanwhile, we checked Maslow’s hierarchy and “$400M plane” still isn’t on it.
In a separate column, Too much grift...even for MAGA Republicans? Jen also wrote on how Trump’s nonstop grifting–with its recent piece de resistance as the $400 million Qatari jet–has rankled even some of his most devoted sycophants. Is there a bipartisan future in anti-corruption? “If conscience is absent, sometimes political self-interest is the greatest motivator.”
Tariff Tribulations & Budget Bumbles
Jared Bernstein wrote on how, with the sharp reduction in China tariffs, Trump is trying to get back the economy he inherited. His furious backpedaling on the consumer tax, in the best-case scenario, just might get him back to the economic starting line of his presidency.
Jared Bernstein was back for his weekly show, Let’s Do Lunch! This week he brought along his friend Shalanda Young, economist and former US Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director.
With the Republican budget and Trump’s tariff games, there’s no relief in sight. Former Biden administration economist Heather Boushey wrote on the false sense of security inherent in current efforts to bring markets back to where President Joe Biden left them. Many of Trump’s and DOGE’s gouges to government funding “won’t have the on or off switch of Trump’s chaotic tariffs, and they will have deeper and more lasting negative economic repercussions.”
Trump Is Defunding Public Safety. Former federal prosecutor and deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council Chiraag Bains wrote on how nearly $1 billion in cuts to crime prevention and other civic programs at DOJ are endangering American lives—and exposing the hypocrisy of an administration that claims to care.
Mauling Medicaid
The Contrarian covers the Democracy Movement “Keep your greedy hands off our Medicaid,” as read on one of many signs, about sums up the motivation for most of the protest signs we saw this week, from the proposed budget slashing of Medicaid on Capitol Hill; ICE protests in NJ and MA; Mother’s Day protests; Tesla takedowns and more. As ever, find protests in your area at mobilize.us, and send us your protest photos at submit@contrariannews.org. Also, check here to find a town hall in your area, and find a June 14 No Kings Day protest in your area here. (More to come on that!)
The influence of protests is widely felt. Josh Levs has pulled no punches in his coverage of legacy media’s failure to hold Trump and the GOP to account—but he also has not lost hope. This week, in we can demand better from the media, he explains how the power of the people can push news execs to act.
Republicans want to gut healthcare: Neera Tanden on cuts to Medicaid and more. Jen was joined by Neera Tanden, the President for the Center for American Progress, to discuss the massive recommended cuts to healthcare and Medicaid released last Sunday by House Republicans. "They want to use money that pays for people's doctor visits, to pay for asthma visits—to give billionaires a tax cut."
Medicaid works, as do most of the adults it covers. Jared Bernstein and Hannah Ketch, a senior adviser on Medicaid throughout the Biden-Harris administration, explained how Congress’ proposed “work requirements” for Medicaid are nothing more than a backdoor way to take health care coverage from millions of people.
Rep. Haley Stevens on the Damage of Trump's Medicaid Cuts. Rep. Haley Stevens spoke with Jen Rubin about what’s at stake in Michigan: Hospitals on the brink due to proposed Medicaid cuts, working families caught in the crossfire of erratic tariffs, and a political culture increasingly defined by grift. “I am hearing from people around the clock, ringing the alarm bell.” Now running for Senate, Stevens is fighting back. “Our health care has got to come at the expense of Elon Musk being able to buy more yachts.”
Borders and Beyond
Will Abrego-Garcia Ever See the Light of Day Again: A One-on-One Discussion with Harry Litman Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, who has been at the forefront of the efforts to keep attention on the nightmarish treatment of Kilmar Abrego-Garcia, about his meeting with Abrego-Garcia, the state of the war of public opinion, and the prospects for the unlawful detainee’s return to his home and family in the United States.
One member of the cabinet who’s not impressing anybody is highlighted in this reel of Kristi Noem facing Congress.
Carlos Eduardo Espina on Escalating Deportation Fears Among Millions of Texans. Carlos Eduardo Espina joined Jen to talk about life under the shadow of ICE, why local leaders are staying silent, and how, even in fear, communities are finding ways to hold onto hope. “You know that the Latino American identity is very connected to the American United States identity, and they can coexist and they can thrive together.”
Canada and the United States: How did we get here? David Bernell and Thomas Graham explained how, in his attempts to bully our northern neighbor, Trump only ended up helping Mark Carney and the Liberals win. Irony is a dish best served with maple syrup.
What China saw in Geneva. Brian O’Neill wrote on Trump’s game of tariff brinksmanship with China—which, from their point of view, was less high-stakes poker than an obvious, and educational, bluff.
Trump made the right decision on Syria. Brian O’Neill analyzed Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on Syria as–however accidentally–a promising opening to stabilize a wartorn region. “This isn’t a redemption arc for Donald Trump. It’s a rare moment in which instinct aligned with opportunity.”
Trump’s visit to the Middle East represents a historic choice for Israel. Ilan Goldenberg updated us on Trump's pivot away from Netanyahu, which, paired with Democrats’ growing disillusionment with the handling of the war in Gaza on both sides, signals that the U.S.-Israel “special relationship” is no longer guaranteed.
Come Along for the Journey! Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor an overdue vacation can keep Jen Rubin from reporting to you, Contrarians. As she set out for time abroad on Thursday she shared some well-honed travel hacks. Keep an eye out for her usual takes on politics and policy, with the benefit of an overseas perspective.
Travel Day #2. Jen checked in from València, Spain—one of her favorite destinations for food, art, and layered history. As always, she’s started her travels with a walking tour, the best way to orient yourself and uncover unexpected gems.
Sports, Culture & Cartoons
Tom the Dancing Bug: If you’re not up for Spain, Ruben Bolling suggests, why not come visit Trump’s USA!
Offsides with Pablo Torre: Bill Belichick, El Clásico, and leadership in sports. Pablo Torre returned with his weekly segment, “Offsides,” in which he and Jen broke down the headline-dominating relationship between former General Manager of the New England Patriots, Bill Belichick, and his 24-year-old girlfriend/personal agent. Power, image, and legacy collide.
In the baseball arena, Frederic Frommer made his case that MLB made the right call in reinstating Pete Rose, but it should have done so earlier. Rose’s reinstatement to the Hall of Fame was interpreted as a welcome grace for a deeply flawed man who nonetheless reached, and furthered, the heights of his sport.
Trump is running a reverse by appealing to the football world. Carron J. Phillips wrote on Trump’s newly cozy relationship to the NFL, a Hail Mary bid for all-American appeal.
The Diddy Trial Has Begun: Here’s What to Know. Eliza Orlins discussed the trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs now taking place in Federal District Court in Lower Manhattan. Stay tuned to hear more details from her in the weeks ahead.
Unpacking the Sean Combs trial. Mimi Rocah broke down the deeper stakes of the headline-grabbing Diddy trial: how coercion, abuse, and control can thrive in intimate relationships, and how well-equipped our justice system is to prosecute that harm.
When Philadelphia bombed its own residents. Shalise Manza Young gave us a stunning report on the Philadelphia MOVE bombing, a little-known attack that, forty years ago this Tuesday, saw eleven people killed—five of them children—when the American government dropped a bomb on its own citizens.
The toxic online community pandering to suffering men: Pasha Dashtgard on the manosphere: Jen was joined by PERIL’s Director of Research, Pasha Dashtgard, to discuss the ideology of male supremacy, how young men get drawn into the manosphere, and what communities and loved ones can do to help prevent further radicalization. “This is very seductive, for men in particular who feel disempowered, who feel marginalized, who feel ignored.”
How reality TV perpetuates the myth of the American dream. Meredith Blake wrote on a new book that looks at how shows like Shark Tank and American Idol convince viewers that upward mobility is not only possible but ordained for those who deserve it—eroding support for taxing the rich and strengthening welfare. Is the American dream a Mark Burnett production?
Andor “is not written from the headlines,” even if it feels that way. Meredith Blake wrote on the show that’s been hitting all too close to home, politically, despite being set in a galaxy far, far away. “Andor is often described as 'Star Wars for people who aren’t into Star Wars.' But perhaps more accurately, it is a Star Wars show for fans who want the Disneyfied franchise to return to its political roots.”
A half-century ago, House members pushed Congress’s first gay rights bill. In honor of the 50th anniversary of “Gay Pride Day” in the nation’s capital this Saturday, Fred Frommer wrote on the mostly-forgotten legislative milestone of the same era: the first congressional bill to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Why Eurovision matters. Meredith Blake tuned into Eurovision, the gloriously over-the-top kitsch-fest that is somehow also an important geopolitical event—as evidenced this year, again, by controversy over Israel's participation.
Marissa Rothkopf is known for her baking, but this sauce recipe quickly became one of her most popular. It’s a simple, healthy green sauce that transforms the plain into fancy and the fancy into amazing. But that wasn’t all she offered!
She also gave us our Contrarian Pet of the Week…meet Norman Bates! (I’m always glad to meet another Norman, even one named after the villain of Pschyo!)
Bob from Chicago. Culture columnist Meredith Blake took us through the improbable rise of Bob from Chicago, who plays Wordle and roots for the White Sox (as I noted last week, offering a strong indication of his loyalty even for the downtrodden) …and who now happens to hold the Vatican’s top job.
Our editorial cartoonists still haven’t had enough of him. Pope Leo XIV offered more material for RJ Matson’s not their pope. (In Gloria DEI?) and Michael de Adder’s the Woke Pope. If the GOP thinks Pope Leo XIV is woke, suggests Michael de Adder’s latest cartoon, they might not want to read the Bible…
And of course, a grifted, I mean gifted plane is pure fodder for comics, as we saw in Nick Anderson’s Security threat and RJ Matson’s The Mother of all Deals.
There you have it Contrarians—another week of losses for Donald Trump, of gains for democracy, all covered by The Contrarian with a heaping helping of culture for good measure. We’ll see you bright and early at 9:15 AM ET on Monday morning for Coffee with the Contrarians with me and special guest Katie Phang while Jen continues her travel reporting from Europe.
Warmly, Norm
FANTASTIC!!! Thanks Norm and everyone with The Contrarians. Just keep it up; we’re going to win in the end!!
I would be more than happy to get one criminal out of this country( guess who?) without due process even if we had to hand over that flying bordello, the ultimate example of bad taste, with no strings attached.