Letter on SCOTUS Tariff Ruling

Society member Michael Miller published the following letter in the* Los Angeles Times* regarding the Supreme Court’s tariff ruling, on February 25:

To the editor: In Trump’s insulting attack on the Supreme Court justices who ruled that the president did not have the authority to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, he clearly revealed his stance that if you don’t do what he wants, you are wrong and a bad person (“Trump calls justices ‘fools,’ announces new 10% global tariff after Supreme Court setback,” Feb. 20). This is a purely dictatorial mindset.

America has three branches of government including the judicial branch, namely the Supreme Court. After review of the facts and law submitted by the parties, the court ruled 6 to 3 that the executive branch acted inconsistent with the applicable law. The six judges in the majority on this ruling included two Trump appointees. They are to act as judges, not employees of Trump. Their decisions are grounded in the facts and applicable law, and they did their job as required by the Constitution.

Trump calling the ruling judges “fools,” “lapdogs” and “a disgrace to our nation” is a clear revelation of his dictatorial and damaging approach to office. He is currently destroying America’s civil service system and bringing back government employment by the spoils system — a key for all dictators. Now, his view of the judicial branch of government is clear: destroy it so he can rule.

Michael Harvey Miller, Pasadena