
<p>With Republicans holding the White House and both houses of Congress, Democrats have only two means to fight the Trump agenda – the court-of-public-opinion and the courts-of-law. ;</p>



<p>The court-of-public-opinion is not the best or most effective means to confront Trump policies. ; ; Polling numbers – especially at this stage – have little influence on a President not facing a future election. ; It will only be existentially important to Senate and House members in another year or so, when voters start to give the 2026 midterm elections serious consideration. ; Also, promoting public protest and disruption has a downside. ; The chance of violence – like the attacks on Tesla – is high. ; That is never popular with the people. ;</p>



<p>That leaves the courts. ;</p>



<p>Trump is incurring a record number of lawsuits in opposition to his record number of Executive Orders. That is no surprise. Trump is not breaking the law as much as poking the limits of presidential power. A lot of Trump haters in the media cavalierly claim he is breaking laws and disobeying court orders. That is partisan bovine poop. Trump is playing a very nuanced game when it comes to the courts. He is even fighting the right of a local federal district court to make decisions curtailing presidential powers on a national basis. That will have to be decided by the Supreme Court.</p>



<p>Court rulings against Trump have been celebrated as “victories” by his opponents. ; The reality is more complex. Injunctions and lower court decisions often serve as temporary roadblocks rather than definitive defeats, as cases move up through the appellate courts &#8212; and occasionally to the Supreme Court. ; ;</p>



<p>An injunction stopping some Trump action is not a victory. ; Injunctions are often granted to allow courts time to review cases before making a final decision. They do not determine case outcomes but act as legal pauses. ; Those who see these as political victories are naïve or just engaging in political spin. ;</p>



<p>Many of the injunctions issued against Trump actions have already been overturned by appellate courts &#8212; or modified in ways that still allow key components of his executive actions to proceed. ;</p>



<p>Trump has had his share of victories – most notably the decision that granted the President broad powers and immunities. </p>



<p>Trump has been very clever in playing on the edge. Specific judges hostile to Trump have harshly criticized his actions and his attacks on the courts – but not one has yet charged him with contempt. Even if one does, the decision will be set aside as the contempt is appealed. There will be no consequences.</p>



<p>Democrats are not fighting so vigorously in the courts because it is a good option – or a good match for Trump’s power as President. ; They are fighting in the courts because it is the best of their bad options. ;</p>



<p>The court fights are going to be a wash. ; The only real chance Democrats have to effectively oppose Trump is the 2026 midterm elections. ; All that reporting about the court cases is a lot of “sound and fury signifying nothing.” ;</p>



<p>So, there ‘tis. ;</p>

Democrat’s anti-Trump court “victories” may be unreal … or temporary, at best
