The President is not a king

On January 30, 2026, George F. Will wrote an essay in The Washington Post arguing that the Supreme Court can and should rein Trump in.

The "unitary executive theory" imagines a unilateral President who acts on whim and without regard for laws or judicial rulings. Reasonable minds may disagree and still be reasonable, but it is unreasonable to claim that the framers fought and won the Revolutionary War only to shortly thereafter shackle themselves anew with an un-checked executive. The Constitution establishes a republic with separated powers and a system of checks and balances. George F. Will is absolutely correct to argue that the Supreme Court should rein Trump in. The President is not a king.