Imagine it is June, 2022, and the Supreme Court has just issued their “Dobbs Decision” overturning 50 years of precedent and banning abortion nationwide. Joe Biden goes on TV and says of the Justices they are “fools and lap dogs,” “unpatriotic and disloyal,” “a disgrace to our nation,” “an embarrassment to their families,” and “swayed by foreign interests.” Right, you cannot imagine that. Had that happened, Fox News would have called for his immediate impeachment by that afternoon.
Those quotes actually belong to Donald Trump from Feb 20, outraged that the Supreme Court would sustain rulings by multiple lower courts finding the Trump tariffs illegal. Fox News reports with tepid commentary then moves along. Baumgartner is silent. As a member of Congress, it would be Baumgartner’s job to design legislation regarding tariffs as the Constitution says and the Court has now reiterated. But is he smart enough to know tariffs are a tax on the American consumer? Fair question.
Either way, Trump immediately said he would defy the Court and then raised tariffs across the board. This abuse of power and disregard for court orders is an impeachable offense, but I have no expectations of Baumgartner and Congress.