President Trump’s ban on travel from seven Muslim-majority countries might or might not be wise, effective, or legal. But regardless of how one feels about the ban, Trump’s subsequent tirade against the judge who overturned it should be disconcerting to all Americans.
If we are, indeed, a nation of laws, then Trump must learn to curb his infantile impetuousness when it comes to legal rulings that go against his wishes. In truth, Trump would be best served by curbing that impetuousness in all cases, but for now we are discussing his reaction to a judicial ruling that overturned portions of the ban he had issued.
On Jan. 27, Trump signed Executive Order 13769, which temporarily prevented refugees and travelers from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen from entering the United States. The clunky manner in which the order was carried out prevented even legal residents from re-entering the United States and resulted in numerous protests throughout the country. On Friday, Judge James Robart of the U.S. District Court in Western Washington issued a ruling temporarily overturning major provisions of the ban. In response, Trump predictably took to Twitter: “The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!”
Trump’s assertion that Robart’s ruling will be overturned may be proven correct; the federal government is challenging the decision in court. But his attempt to delegitimize the judge, who was appointed by President George W. Bush, is yet another example of Trump’s thin-skinned inability to understand the U.S. Constitution and the protections it provides for all. By all means, the federal government and the president have the right and the duty to provide security for citizens, but the fact that they must do so in a legal manner is sacrosanct. Suggesting that a judge is illegitimate because he or she issues a ruling based upon the laws of the country is an act of demagoguery that undermines the principles of the nation.