Example Image
Civitas Outlook
Topic
Politics
Published on
Mar 17, 2025
Contributors
John Yoo
Robert Delahunty

The Claim That Trump Is Causing a Constitutional Crisis Ignores a Key Reality

Contributors
John Yoo
John Yoo
Senior Research Fellow
John Yoo
Robert Delahunty
Robert Delahunty
Robert Delahunty
Summary
Claims of an ongoing constitutional crisis are overblown.
Summary
Claims of an ongoing constitutional crisis are overblown.
Listen to this article

Opponents of Donald Trump’s whirlwind return to the presidency scream "constitutional crisis." They claim that the administration will defy the courts, then overthrow the constitutional structure and govern by executive decree. The New York Times editorial board alleged that many of Trumps’ first moves "blatantly exceed what is legally granted. He and his supporters have sought to undermine those best positioned to check his overreaches of power. And he is moving to eliminate the tools of accountability in government." Almost 1,000 law professors chimed in with a letter claiming Trump’s actions are "beyond his constitutional or statutory authority."

Claims of a constitutional crisis are overblown, if not completely imaginary. Critics would have a better claim to credibility if they were not so obviously partisan. These same authority figures did not warn of a constitutional crash when President Joseph Biden, without congressional authorization, forgave an estimated $400 billion in federal student debt – a constitutional "power grab" if there ever was one, and a far cry from anything Elon Musk’s efficiency drive will find in cuts.  

They saw no constitutional crises when the Biden administration claimed emergency powers under COVID-19 to shut down the economy, halt most travel in the nation, require mandatory vaccinations and support the closures of churches, schools and even political meetings.  

Continue reading at Fox News Opinion

10:13
1x
10:13
More articles

Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations Turns 250

Economic Dynamism
Mar 13, 2026

Oil, War, and Peace

Politics
Mar 12, 2026
View all

Join the newsletter

Receive new publications, news, and updates from the Civitas Institute.

Sign up
More on

Politics

National Civitas Institute Poll: Americans are Anxious and Frustrated, Creating a Challenging Environment for Leaders

The poll reveals a deeply pessimistic American electorate, with a majority convinced the nation is on the wrong track.

Politics
Feb 19, 2026
Liberal Democracy Reexamined: Leo Strauss on Alexis de Tocqueville

This article explores Leo Strauss’s thoughts on Alexis de Tocqueville in his 1954 “Natural Right” course transcript.

Raúl Rodríguez
Politics
Feb 25, 2025
Long Distance Migration as a Two-Step Sorting Process: The Resettlement of Californians in Texas

Here we press the question of whether the well-documented stream of migrants relocating from California to Texas has been sufficient to alter the political complexion of the destination state.

James Gimpel, Daron Shaw
Politics
Feb 6, 2025
Who's That Knocking? A Study of the Strategic Choices Facing Large-Scale Grassroots Canvassing Efforts

Although there is a consensus that personalized forms of campaign outreach are more likely to be effective at either mobilizing or even persuading voters, there remains uncertainty about how campaigns should implement get-out-the-vote (GOTV) programs, especially at a truly expansive scale.

Grant Ferguson, James Gimpel, Mark Owens, Daron Shaw
Politics
Dec 13, 2024

The Three Whiskey Happy Hour

Steven Hayward brings you the Power Line Blog's perspective on the week's big headlines.

View all
** items
Under Trump, Skilled Immigration Is Still Working Fine

If anything, America’s appeal is growing.

Joel Kotkin
Politics
Mar 3, 2026
California’s Green Policies Destroy Blue-Collar Jobs

The problem here lies not with racism, or lack of reparations, as Newsom and “progressives” insist, but with their own policies, which devastate minority communities.

Joel Kotkin
Politics
Feb 28, 2026
There's a Perception Gap With the U.S. Economy

As we approach another election cycle, it’s worth asking: what’s real, what’s political theater, and what does it all mean if Democrats regain control of the House?

Charity-Joy Acchiardo & G. Dirk Mateer
Politics
Feb 2, 2026
California Wealth Tax Backers Ignore Proposition 13 Lessons

While the tax would be a “one-time event,” nothing would prohibit similar initiatives in the future.

Jonathan Hartley, Arthur Laffer
Politics
Jan 25, 2026

Trump’s Iran Operation Is Legal, Just, and Overdue

Politics
Mar 3, 2026
1:05

‘Big Difference’ Between Investigating a Sitting and Former President: Ex-dDeputy Assistant AG

Politics
Mar 3, 2026
1:05

Richard Reinsch Warns of Escalating Political Retaliation as Debate Turns to Conservatism, Violence, and Executive Power

Politics
Feb 23, 2026
1:05

John Yoo urges Supreme Court to ‘let democracy work’ in trans athlete case

Politics
Jan 13, 2026
1:05

Kotkin: Non-Aligned Nations Navigating a Multipolar World

Politics
Aug 19, 2025
1:05
No items found.
No items found.
Oil, War, and Peace

The deeper question about these matters is why the energy crunch had to occur at all.

Richard Epstein
Politics
Mar 12, 2026
Iran and the Laws of War

The Iran war gives the United States the opportunity to re-formulate the rules of war, not to fight the old conflicts of the twentieth century.

John Yoo
Politics
Mar 12, 2026
Yes, AI Minister

The future is already here. Albania's AI minister Diella is changing the way nations think about governance.

Philip Wallach
Politics
Mar 11, 2026
What Happened to Tucker?

In his new book, “Hated by All the Right People: Tucker Carlson and the Unraveling of the Conservative Mind,” Jason Zengerle attempts to answer one of America’s most pressing questions: “What the hell happened to Tucker Carlson?”

Tevi Troy
Politics
Mar 11, 2026
No items found.