🤔

Hmmmm…

"What this attestation from the Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, does is it's minimal compliance with the court's order," she told the host. "Todd Blanche has simply said, 'I'm aware and I've been involved in these conversations at the cabinet level.' Look, I think it's appropriate for the Cabinet to take its time to determine whether or not to invoke state secrets, which is a common law doctrine that prevents courts from inquiring into military secrets that could damage our national security. On the other hand, the government is flirting with violating the judge's order, and he has plenty of possibilities for contempt proceedings against the government if he finally loses his patience with them."

I think it also I indicates the “constitutional crisis” so many online Cassandras (hem hem

George Conway hem hem) are so anxious to invoke into existence isn’t quite yet on the horizon. (I think ignoring the order to turn the planes around was too cute by half, but the Administration is spending a lot if effort justifying and protecting that decision.) If there are “cabinet level discussions,” then Secretaries aren’t yet asking Trump “how high, sir?” (with tears in their eyes).

Telling a court to take a flying leap is something even Old Hickory didn’t do.  And DOJ lawyers who think they are Trump’s personal lawyers are aren’t openly thumbing their nose at judges.

If they do defy a court order, openly and brazenly, they know it’s the end of the line. They want to take these arguments to the Supremes, where they think they have at least 5 votes no matter what.

At any rate, this indicates they don’t want Trump to go full “L’etat, c’est moi,” quite yet.