June 26, 2025
by Marybeth O’Mara
How is it even possible that each week delivers more bad news than the previous week? It seems to defy the laws of physics. And yet…
Several developments caught my eye this week. First, seemingly in light of the terrible reception to Trump’s military/birthday parade in Washington, DC last week, Trump, clearly embarrassed, ordered strikes in Iran on the nuclear facilities that many have wanted gone for years. Mind you, the first Trump administration cancelled the agreement negotiated under Obama that successfully limited the development of nuclear capability in Iran. Despite leaked intelligence reports that the strikes were not the unmitigated success that the Administration claims, Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and many other admin officials have doubled down, calling members of the press liars and losers and insisting that the strikes “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capability (rather than causing several months-worth of slowdown.)
Why does the US want to become involved in a military conflict in Iran now? We have had a series of presidents work hard to avoid direct conflict for over 45 years, since the Iranian Revolution and the capture of US Embassy hostages in 1979. There has been a series of proxy conflicts, including a ramping up of Iranian support for terrorist organizations operating beyond Iran’s borders, but the US has not gotten directly involved in conflict in Iran-until now. Is this to salve the ego of a US president with an insatiable desire for approval? For a Noble Peace Prize? For a restoration of a fractured relationship with Israel’s Natanyahu? All of the above? Maybe. Can we believe anything that they are telling us? Since they are speaking to an audience of one rather than to the US Congress or public, I do not trust what is being told to us. We will continue to wait and see, and hope that, even if by accident, this administration is able to avoid a regional conflict that escalates beyond what it is today.
More troubling new this week came from the Supreme Court. The good news (such as it is) is that the current term ends tomorrow—at least for the cases that were argued in the regular session. The emergency or shadow docket cases can continue to be horrific surprises all summer and early fall. In the past week, the Court has ruled that the Trump administration CAN defy the (several) federal courts that ruled that migrants could NOT be deported to third-party countries, countries to which said migrants had zero connection, without sufficient and timely due process. The 6-3 emergency ruling did not chastise the administration for failing to obey the lower courts, which has always been the norm, nor did it place any restrictions on the administration’s deportation of migrants to countries such as Djibouti or South Sudan, even when migrants had reasonable fears of torture or other harms while in those countries. This will continue to play out in the next year or two as at least one case hits the “real” SCOTUS docket, but in the meantime, the Trump administration seems free to deport at will. in the past 2 months, the administration has had losses in 94% of its cases in the lower courts, but 94% success in the Supreme Court. This has become so commonplace that in response to Sen Patty Murray’s questioning at Emil Bove’s hearing for a judicial nomination yesterday, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Murray had the following exchange:
Senator Murray began her questioning by pressing Attorney General Bondi on a whistleblower complaint filed yesterday by a former career lawyer at DOJ, Erez Reuveni, who alleged that Deputy Attorney General Emile Bove recommended subordinates ignore court orders to fulfill President Trump’s aggressive deportation campaign: “A former DOJ attorney filed a protected whistleblower complaint accusing Deputy AG Emil Bove and senior DOJ leadership of defying court orders, including through ‘lack of candor, deliberate delay, and disinformation.’ The complaint also accuses this Administration of firing the whistleblower for, ‘telling the truth to the court.’ These allegations are deeply concerning. Now, I know you said that you can't discuss the case, but can you confirm that you agree that this administration should follow court orders?”
“We will follow court orders, Senator. The entire administration will follow court orders. The problem arises in the district courts. All these districts courts throughout the country are tying our hands. But here’s how we will follow them. When we get to the United States Supreme Court, we’re winning. So yes, we are following the orders of the court,” Attorney General Bondi replied.
It is now Trump administration policy that they must follow ONLY the orders of the Supreme Court and not those of any other courts, undermining the 250 year tradition of the Rule of Law in the US. Horrifying.
And while we are riveted to and overwhelmed by the news that hits our feeds with stunning velocity, the conversion of the government from public sector to private sector oligarchical control continues unabated. Politics Girl, a political YouTube influencer I have followed for several years, reported something I have seen covered nowhere else—that the US Army swore in high-level employees from 4 of the top tech companies in the US as US Army lieutenants, allowing them access to and influence on high level security information and decisions in the military. This is horrifying as a slap in the face to military professionals who were passed over and as an intrusion into and circumvention of the rules for guarding national security information.
So much is happening so fast that we cannot possibly keep up with all of it. So, what to do? Again, contact your elected officials, even those who you believe feel (and vote) the way you want them to. Elected officials respond to constituent concerns so it is important that they don’t only hear from (and feel pressure to respond to) constituents who disagree with their current positions on issues. Again, attend protests. As I noted last week, national protests are scheduled for July 17—watch for more information. But Indivisible has a daily action calendar that offers (largely remote) actions that you can participate in. Pick an issue and join in from home!
Much of the US has been under severe and dangerous heat warnings this week; it is only June, and the administration has dismantled many of the parts of the federal government that track and remediate such climate extremism. So, stay cool, read something interesting or escapist, and enjoy the rest of summer. Good luck!