Picture a new administration, aligned with MAGA Republicans in Congress, targeting an agency like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). That’s not hard to imagine, is it?
Eliminating the CFPB aligns perfectly with their stated goal of "shrinking government" and, naturally, with the wishes of the billionaire donor class cheering Trump on. After all, protecting consumers isn’t exactly high on their list of priorities.
Now imagine Trump signing an executive order to abolish the agency. Personnel are told to leave immediately. Lawsuits, you say? Sure—but imagine a Justice Department entirely under Trump’s control. That’s not hard to picture either. His Justice Department would eagerly back him, escorting employees out of the building, maybe even arresting a few for good measure.
And what if the courts rule in favor of the CFPB, you wonder? Would Trump and his Justice Department comply? History gives us a clue. Andrew Jackson—one of Trump’s personal heroes—famously ignored the Supreme Court’s decision in Worcester v. Georgia, saying, “John Marshall has made his decision; now let him enforce it.”
How much fun would Trump have saying, “John Roberts has made his decision; now let him enforce it”?