Is Donald Trump Channeling His Inner Andrew Jackson?

"John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it."

Once there was Old Hickory. Now there’s Donald Trump.

“The portrait of President Andrew Jackson has recently made a comeback in the Oval Office…. (President Donald) Trump identifies with Jackson on many levels… (‘Old Hickory’) Jackson pushed executive power to the limits, just like Trump tries to do.” (1)

As Trump runs roughshod over governance writ large, does anyone really think that the courts will stop him?

It so happens that his hero Jackson had a history of ignoring court rulings.

“In Worcester v. Georgia (31 U.S. (6 Pet.) 515 (1832)), the Supreme Court overturned the conviction of a missionary living among the Cherokee Nation... While the story is likely apocryphal, (President Andrew) Jackson supposedly remarked, ‘(Chief Justice) John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it.’ ...Eventually, Jackson acted in direct contravention of the Court’s decision in Worcester. Ignoring the Court’s ruling that the Cherokees were an independent people entitled to the land on which they lived, Jackson sent federal troops to evict them. The result was the Cherokees’ forced and deadly migration west along the infamous Trail of Tears.” (2)

So -- is Trump on the precipice of channeling Andrew Jackson’s contempt for jurisprudence? For now, one can only cling to the feeble and forlorn hope that he isn’t.

If Trump does end up using court rulings as cat box litter, then what will we do? Impeach him – again? It’s not like Trump’s prior impeachments worked out.

An aside. Is Vice President JD Vance setting a stage for his boss?

Today (February 10, 2025), Vance posted, in part, this on X: “Judges aren't allowed to control the executive's legitimate power.” (3)

References:

(1) https://www.upi.com/Voices/2025/02/04/donald-trump-andrew-jackson-sycophants/1841738680616/

(2) https://www.fjc.gov/history/administration/executive-enforcement-judicial-orders

(3) https://x.com/jdvance/status/1888607143030391287?s=43&t=yvJsmV0mu2913uNCsjBAcQ&mx=2

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