Donald Trump had a rough stretch of days, and this week’s headlines kept adding to it. The Supreme Court struck down his executive order telling the Postal Service to only send mail ballots to certain verified voters for this year’s midterms. The Federal Reserve raised the federal funds rate a notch to just under 4%. And a federal judge blocked the Kennedy Center from putting Trump’s name back on the building after removing it.
The Court, the Bank, and the Building
The Supreme Court’s ruling against the executive order means the Postal Service cannot implement the plan as Trump directed. The decision cuts off one path to controlling who receives mail ballots ahead of the midterms.
The Federal Reserve moved again this week, raising the federal funds rate to just under 4%. Trump picked Kevin Warsh as Fed chair while frustrated about too-high interest rates. Warsh did not lower rates as Trump wanted. At a rally this week, Trump said interest rates were artificially high and should be 1% or less because the U.S. is the best credit in the world.
Trump also threatened to demolish the Kennedy Center if his name could not be restored. Another judge later said the center must give at least 30 days’ notice before any building changes, including demolition.
The Numbers Behind the Headlines
Diesel fuel hit a record high this week. Trump’s approval remains below 40% by most polls.
Florida Republican Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar ran a new ad criticizing Trump’s immigration policy. The ad adds to the pressure from within her own party.
Inflation is partly caused by Trump’s war in Iran. That is a separate argument about cause and effect.
A Week of Rare Pushback
What stands out is the combination. Trump’s approval is low. His own appointee at the Fed refused his request to lower rates. A federal judge blocked his attempt to restore a name to the Kennedy Center. The Supreme Court struck down his executive order on the Postal Service.
These are not partisan setbacks. They are institutional limits on presidential power. A sitting president cannot simply order the Postal Service to change how it handles ballots. He cannot order the Federal Reserve to lower rates. He cannot order a federal judge to reverse a ruling.
The pattern is notable because it cuts across branches of government. The courts and the bank both pushed back this week. That is not typical for a presidency this powerful.
What This Week Means for Trump
Trump has spent years operating with few limits on his authority. This week showed those limits exist, even for him. The Supreme Court and the Federal Reserve both said no to his requests.
The record diesel prices add to the economic strain. High fuel costs hit drivers, farmers, and businesses that move goods. Trump’s approval remains below 40%.
Salazar’s ad shows the pressure from within her own party. A Republican congresswoman criticizing Trump’s immigration policy is a signal that some GOP lawmakers are willing to break with the president on key issues.
The inflation argument about Iran is a political claim, not an economic fact. It assigns blame to Trump’s war in Iran for rising prices. Whether that holds up is debatable, but it is being made at a moment when prices are a central concern.
| Event | What Happened |
|---|---|
| Supreme Court | Struck down Trump’s executive order on the Postal Service |
| Federal Reserve | Raised the federal funds rate to just under 4% |
| Kennedy Center judge | Blocked Trump’s attempt to restore his name |
| Warsh | Refused to lower rates as Trump wanted |
| Salazar | Ran a new ad criticizing Trump’s immigration policy |
The paper’s view is straightforward. Trump’s week of setbacks shows the limits on presidential power. The courts and the bank both pushed back in some form this week. That is not typical for a presidency this powerful.
The question now is whether this week changes how Trump operates. The paper will watch the coming weeks to see if the pattern holds.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs the Court’s ruling striking down the executive order and the judge’s block on the Kennedy Center name, and is against the executive order’s attempt to direct the Postal Service on voting. The paper opposes any office gathering more power, whichever party holds it, and agrees with the judgment that a president cannot order the Postal Service to handle ballots in a particular way.
This week showed institutional limits on presidential power. A sitting president cannot simply order the Postal Service to change how it handles ballots, nor can he order the Federal Reserve to lower rates. The courts and the bank both pushed back in some form this week, and the paper agrees with each judgment.
The paper will watch the coming weeks to see if the pattern holds. For now, the message is clear: the presidency has limits, and the institutions meant to check it are doing their job.
Source material: “Trump's week of setbacks: The president's priorities get rare pushback,” NPR.
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