What Marbury v. Madison means for the Supreme Court — and America


What Marbury v. Madison means for the Supreme Court — and America

Updated 4:33 PM GMT+5, February 12, 2025 WASHINGTON (AP) — When it comes to respecting the rulings of courts, President Donald Trump has been of two minds. If the decision goes his way, as it did when the Supreme Court ruled 11 months ago that his name should be on the ballot in Colorado, he hails it as a “BIG WIN FOR AMERICA.” Now, as president, he has been critical of federal judges who have moved to block some of his most contentious actions, such as his move to freeze federal spending. His vice president, JD Vance, recently said, “Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.” Billionaire Elon Musk, a senior Trump adviser, reacted angrily to a judge’s order temporarily blocking Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing Treasury Department records. “A corrupt judge protecting corruption. He needs to be impeached NOW!” Musk posted. Though Trump said on Tuesday in the Oval Office that he would abide by the rulings of the courts, the Republican president is clearly pressing the boundaries of the relationship between the executive and judicial branches. In doing so, he may be headed to a test of one of the most foundational cases in American constitutional law, Marbury v. Madison, in which the Supreme Court established the principle that the courts are the final arbiters of the law.