Summary
Trump and his allies are signaling they may defy court rulings after a federal judge blocked Elon Musk’s DOGE from accessing Treasury payment systems.
JD Vance and Trump dismissed judicial authority, raising concerns of a constitutional crisis. Experts warn ignoring court orders would break legal precedent and undermine checks and balances.
Judges have repeatedly restrained Trump’s sweeping government cuts, but the administration continues pushing its agenda.
Critics say Musk’s influence represents an “attempted coup,” while Trump’s legal strategy may ultimately be tested at the Supreme Court.
Marshals fall under the Executive. Judicial branch doesn’t have any law enforcement.
Judges can and will send marshals to enforce court orders. If you or I are held in contempt and ignore a court order, we can absolutely expect a marshal to knock on our door and arrest us. I’m a lawyer admitted to four different Federal Courts.
In a normal functioning US, sure. But it doesn’t change the fact that the US Marshals report to the Dept of Justice, who reports to the Executive. Judicial branch doesn’t own their own law enforcement, and since norms and actual laws don’t matter in this timeline, I doubt the Executive is going to allow their own law enforcement to come after themselves.
So what happens when Trump pardons anyone arrested, or says it’s all official acts?