Stay Tuned with Preet Justice Under Trump: SCOTUS & Mahmoud Khalil (with Kate Shaw)
Mar 20, 2025
Kate Shaw, a constitutional law professor at the University of Pennsylvania, dives into the legal challenges arising from President Trump’s executive orders. She analyzes Elon Musk’s influence on governmental decisions and the shifting dynamics of the Supreme Court, particularly with Justice Amy Coney Barrett. The discussion also focuses on upcoming cases regarding birthright citizenship and transgender rights, and an intriguing examination of Mahmoud Khalil’s detention highlights the intersection of free speech and deportation under U.S. law.
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Difficulty Teaching Constitutional Law
- Teaching constitutional law is challenging due to the disconnect between legal theory and current political actions.
- Students struggle to reconcile established legal principles with real-world executive power assertions.
Executive Power Limits
- The President cannot unilaterally dismantle the Department of Education, a creation of statute.
- Congress holds the authority to eliminate or modify such agencies, not the President alone.
Justices' Alignment on Executive Power
- Justices Alito and Thomas consistently support maximalist claims of executive power.
- Trump's appointees like Gorsuch and Barrett haven't always aligned with this view.