The President Thinks the Court Belongs to Him

A justice is not supposed to be loyal to the president who appointed them. That is not a flaw in the system. It is one of the last signs the system is still working.

A president who believes judges owe him loyalty is not describing a constitutional system. He is describing a court he wishes he had.

That is what made Donald Trump’s recent complaint about the Supreme Court so revealing. After justices, including some he appointed, appeared skeptical of his effort to restrict birthright citizenship, Trump lashed out at …