‘Let Me Explain It a Little Bit More Slowly’: Abby Phillip to Scott Jennings Claiming Trump Can Defy Court Orders

HONIG Let me just ░░░░░░░░ where you stand If ░░░░░░░░ district court judge rules ░░░░░░░░ a way that the ░░░░░░░░ dislikes should the president ░░░░░░░░ or should the president ░░░░░░░░ JENNINGS If a district ░░░░░░░░ judge tries to usurp ░░░░░░░░ authority of the chief ░░░░░░░░ of this country he ░░░░░░░░ absolutely defy it There ░░░░░░░░ a difference between broad ░░░░░░░░ decisions and discreet disputes ░░░░░░░░ parties That s the ░░░░░░░░ If I want a ░░░░░░░░ decided I ll take ░░░░░░░░ to the Supreme Court ░░░░░░░░ What about checks and ░░░░░░░░ PHILLIP Well Scott you ░░░░░░░░ always JENNINGS Of a ░░░░░░░░ court judge Who elected ░░░░░░░░ PHILLIP What I can ░░░░░░░░ get with is you ░░░░░░░░ in these bizarre broad ░░░░░░░░ JENNINGS It s not ░░░░░░░░ PHILLIP Every single one ░░░░░░░░ these cases deals with ░░░░░░░░ discrete issue Okay It ░░░░░░░░ with funding It deals ░░░░░░░░ certain constitutionally or statutorily ░░░░░░░░ roles Every single one ░░░░░░░░ these things is a ░░░░░░░░ thing and they re ░░░░░░░░ being dealt with by ░░░░░░░░ judges So it s ░░░░░░░░ broad swaths of policy ░░░░░░░░ JENNINGS It is PHILLIP ░░░░░░░░ the court says when ░░░░░░░░ court says Congress you ░░░░░░░░ appropriated this money you ░░░░░░░░ unfreeze it while we ░░░░░░░░ this why can t ░░░░░░░░ comply with that JENNINGS ░░░░░░░░ he so you re ░░░░░░░░ that a judge should ░░░░░░░░ how and when money ░░░░░░░░ spent PHILLIP A judge ░░░░░░░░ saying JENNINGS for years ░░░░░░░░ not the president of ░░░░░░░░ United States PHILLIP Scott ░░░░░░░░ me explain to you ░░░░░░░░ me explain it a ░░░░░░░░ bit more slowly A ░░░░░░░░ is saying JENNINGS You ░░░░░░░░ t have to talk ░░░░░░░░ me like that PHILLIP ░░░░░░░░ JENNINGS I have a ░░░░░░░░ on this And you ░░░░░░░░ an opinion We can ░░░░░░░░ PHILLIP But I m ░░░░░░░░ listen to me because ░░░░░░░░ re not listening and ░░░░░░░░ re making claims that ░░░░░░░░ not connected to the ░░░░░░░░ The judge is saying ░░░░░░░░ Maybe you are PHILLIP ░░░░░░░░ appropriated certain amount of ░░░░░░░░ We need to litigate ░░░░░░░░ While we litigate this ░░░░░░░░ re going to put ░░░░░░░░ hold on the actions ░░░░░░░░ you took that might ░░░░░░░░ unconstitutional That s part ░░░░░░░░ the process Why does ░░░░░░░░ not work JENNINGS So ░░░░░░░░ we litigate while we ░░░░░░░░ this I m a ░░░░░░░░ and I m in ░░░░░░░░ of the executive Branch ░░░░░░░░ you re not Forget ░░░░░░░░ I totally disagree SUNUNU ░░░░░░░░ just can t compel ░░░░░░░░ executive Branch to spend ░░░░░░░░ dollars You can t ░░░░░░░░ that They can t ░░░░░░░░ we re going to ░░░░░░░░ the judge is going ░░░░░░░░ start writing checks PHILLIP ░░░░░░░░ have you heard of ░░░░░░░░ Impoundment have you heard ░░░░░░░░ the Impoundment Control Act ░░░░░░░░ 1974 SUNUNU No Laughter ░░░░░░░░ Okay well let me ░░░░░░░░ this let me play ░░░░░░░░ SUNUNU By the way ░░░░░░░░ of your viewers have ░░░░░░░░ Laughter PHILLIP Well I ░░░░░░░░ going to HONIG I ░░░░░░░░ explain it in a ░░░░░░░░ PHILLIP I m going ░░░░░░░░ play this clip for ░░░░░░░░ This is in Congress ░░░░░░░░ Vought who is the ░░░░░░░░ of a lot of ░░░░░░░░ was being questioned in ░░░░░░░░ about the Impoundment Control ░░░░░░░░ which actually says that ░░░░░░░░ executive Branch should spend ░░░░░░░░ money how Congress appropriated ░░░░░░░░ Here s what he ░░░░░░░░ is going on right ░░░░░░░░ in the federal government ░░░░░░░░ starts PETERS Do you ░░░░░░░░ the Impoundment Control Act ░░░░░░░░ 1974 is the law ░░░░░░░░ the land that you ░░░░░░░░ follow VOUGHT It is ░░░░░░░░ law of the land ░░░░░░░░ you know the president ░░░░░░░░ run on that issue ░░░░░░░░ believes it s unconstitutional ░░░░░░░░ 200 years presidents had ░░░░░░░░ ability to spend less ░░░░░░░░ an appropriation if they ░░░░░░░░ do it for less ░░░░░░░░ we have seen the ░░░░░░░░ to which this law ░░░░░░░░ contributed to waste fraud ░░░░░░░░ abuse Clip ends PHILLIP ░░░░░░░░ Elie this is the ░░░░░░░░ of the land They ░░░░░░░░ be wanting to challenge ░░░░░░░░ but it is the ░░░░░░░░ HONIG Right The Impoundment ░░░░░░░░ Act says essentially that ░░░░░░░░ president cannot block money ░░░░░░░░ by Congress To the ░░░░░░░░ of district court judges ░░░░░░░░ I understand your point ░░░░░░░░ I understand the frustration ░░░░░░░░ have when a district ░░░░░░░░ judge blocks a broad ░░░░░░░░ from the chief executive ░░░░░░░░ elected chief executive ultimately ░░░░░░░░ know the big issues ░░░░░░░░ up to the Supreme ░░░░░░░░ But I guess I ░░░░░░░░ ask both of you ░░░░░░░░ if a district court ░░░░░░░░ had blocked Barack Obama ░░░░░░░░ DACA plan the DREAMers ░░░░░░░░ right and he said ░░░░░░░░ with you I m ░░░░░░░░ it anyway Would you ░░░░░░░░ okay with that Or ░░░░░░░░ you have a problem ░░░░░░░░ that?”