A Timeline of Troubles - “The Sunday Political Brunch”—June 29, 2025
Mark Curtis, MINDSETTER™
A Timeline of Troubles - “The Sunday Political Brunch”—June 29, 2025
“Supreme Confusion and Supreme Clarity” – The high court ended its current session with some big decisions and wins for the Trump White House. In the birthright citizenship case, the justices ruled that a lower court decision saying President Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship could not be applied to the entire nation. Attorney General Pam Bondi said, "Today, in the six-three opinion, Justice Barrett correctly holds that the district court lacks authority to enter nationwide or universal injunctions.” Bondi says if a ruling comes down in a Portland federal court, it only applies to that judicial district. But confusion remains because the Supreme Court did not rule on the constitutionality of the ban itself, and whether with the stroke of a pen the president could change the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. Trump and Bondi expect the court to address that in its fall term in October. In another win for conservatives, the high court said parents in Maryland public schools could let their children opt-out of lessons dealing with LGBTQ+ issues. In a 6-3 majority ruling, Justice Samuel Alito said the books "unmistakably convey a particular viewpoint about same-sex marriage and gender." He saw it as a violation of the religious rights of parents, who object on those grounds.
“Calls for Impeachment” – To no one’s surprise, Democrats were not big fans of the president’s decision to bomb Iran. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says the House needs to start impeachment proceedings against Trump. She said, “The President’s disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers.” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I), Vermont, agreed, saying, “But it is so grossly unconstitutional. All of you know, that the only entity that can take this country to war is Congress. The president doesn’t have the right.” But Sen. Lyndsey Graham (R), South Carolina, and a military lawyer said, “No, he was within his Article 2 authority.” Some in the GOP were mad, too. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R), Georgia, normally a big Trump supporter, said Trump deviated from how he campaigned against wars, saying, “We are back into foreign wars, regime change, and world war 3.”
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“The Bottom Line” – As I often say, politics is as much about math as it is about ideology. First of all, 12 House Democrats, who are all military veterans, signed a letter supporting Trump’s actions in Iran. They include such notables as Rep. Bobby Scott (D) Virginia, Rep. Pat Ryan (D) New York, and Rep. Gil Cisneros (D) California. Even if the remaining 200 Democrats voted to impeach, you’d still need 18 Republicans to bolt on Trump. That’s just impossible. And to make it even more impossible, 128 Democrats voted Tuesday to kill the resolution to impeach Trump brought by Rep. Al Green (D) Texas. Those voting “No” included Rep. Hakim Jeffries (D) New York, who is the House Majority Leader, and Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D) California, who twice served as House Speaker. Unless Democrats retake control of the House in 2026, this won’t be possible, and even then, the outcome would be doubtful.
“Is a Party Switch Coming?” – Not all Democrats are blasting President Trump for strikes ordered on Iran. Sen. John Fetterman (D) Pennsylvania, even went on X to praise Trump, saying, “As I’ve long maintained, this was the correct move by @POTUS.” Fetterman added, “Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities.” This is not the first time the Pennsylvania Democrat has come to Trump’s defense after rallying around Trump on some immigration and budget issues. You have to wonder if he’ll switch parties or stay as the Democrats’ moderate-centrist replacement of former Sen. Joe Manchin (D), West Virginia.
“What Says the Constitution?” – Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution clearly states that Congress has the powers, “To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water; To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years; To provide and maintain a Navy.” On the other hand, Article 2, Section II which deals with the executive branch says, “The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States.” So, any president can send troops to places such as Korea, Vietnam, and Afghanistan without getting a formal declaration of war from Congress. It’s a shared authority under the separation of powers and checks and balances. The 1973 War Powers Act tried to balance the two sides, but it passed only as a resolution, not a law.
“My Worries” – Even if the ceasefire holds between Israel and Iran, I am still worried about attacks on U.S. interests at home and overseas. What about rogue terrorist sleeper cells or lone-wolf cyber hackers, who could shut down our power grid? What about an anthrax attack inside an underground public transit system? I mean, after all, we had a terrorist try to make a bomb out of his shoe, onboard a flight across the U.S.
“New York Mayor’s Race” – One of the most fascinating political races this year is for the mayor of New York City. In what many consider an upset, State Rep. Zohran Mamdani defeated former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) New York by a margin of 44 to 36 percent. NYC Comptroller Doug Lander was third at 11 percent. The final results won’t be in until later this week, as New York has ranked-choice voting. Still, Cuomo has already conceded and, for now, plans to run in November under the banner of his Fight and Deliver Party. Current Mayor Eric Adams, who won in 2021 as a Democrat, will run as an independent in November. Curtis Sliwa of Guardian Angels fame is the Republican nominee. If he wins the four-way race, Rep. Mamdani will become the first Muslim-elected New York City mayor.
“Big, Beautiful Bill Bust?” -- President Trump got his all-inclusive single spending bill through the U.S. House on a vote of 215-214. He had hoped it would pass the Senate and be on his desk for signature by July 4. Now, that looks doubtful. First of all, several key senators want more deficit reductions, and if they go that route, some key “yes” votes in the House may change to “no.” A recent Fox News poll showed that 38 of respondents supported the bill, while 59 percent were opposed. Many people expressed concerns about possible cuts to Medicaid and other programs in their home state. Yes, it’s something of a contraction that people want fiscal prudence from Congress, but “just don’t cut my pet program or project!” How the public feels about this bill really matters, with control of both the House and Senate a toss-up in 2026.