Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts

Preview: Deciphering The Lawlessness of Trump’s Executive Orders

Jan 21, 2025

The podcast dives into the controversial executive orders from Trump's second inauguration, highlighting their chaotic implications. It critiques the legality and poor drafting of these orders, suggesting a connection to generative AI. Key topics include citizenship changes, potential pardons for January 6 rioters, and the administration's cautious approach to sensitive issues like abortion rights. The discussion also explores the threat to birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment and its broader legal and societal consequences.

12:34

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Quick takeaways

Trump's hasty executive orders, particularly the controversial repeal of birthright citizenship, raise significant constitutional and ethical concerns amidst legal scrutiny.

The absence of immediate action on reproductive rights suggests a cautious approach, indicating the sensitivity of public opinion on this divisive issue.

Deep dives

Unlawful Executive Orders

Donald Trump's first day in office saw the issuance of several executive orders that were largely seen as cruel and unlawful, reminiscent of policies from his previous administration. These orders included the controversial repeal of birthright citizenship and mass pardons for individuals involved in the January 6 riots, which raised significant ethical concerns. The executive orders appeared hastily drafted and poorly executed, leading to speculation that they lacked legal grounding and could face challenges in court. The immediate push for these measures signals Trump's aggressive stance, leaving critics alarmed about potential far-reaching implications for constitutional rights.

Intro

3min

Analyzing Executive Orders: Lawlessness and Poor Drafting at Play

3min

The Unraveling of Birthright Citizenship and Its Legal Consequences

6min

Some very clear themes are already emerging from President Donald Trump’s executive orders; cruel, chaotic, and fear-stoking - yes, but also - they’re rife with shoddy drafting (is that you, ChatGPT?), sloppy lawyering, and some are wildly unconstitutional. In an extra episode of Amicus for plus members, Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern begin the work of parsing a few of the many, many executive orders raining down on America in the hours since Trump assumed office for the second time.

This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock weekly bonus episodes of Amicus—you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Amicus show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/amicusplus to get access wherever you listen.

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