{"id":25690,"date":"2016-06-08T14:21:33","date_gmt":"2016-06-08T19:21:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/law.marquette.edu\/facultyblog\/?p=25690"},"modified":"2016-06-08T14:21:33","modified_gmt":"2016-06-08T19:21:33","slug":"donald-trump-and-the-belief-in-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/law.marquette.edu\/facultyblog\/2016\/06\/donald-trump-and-the-belief-in-law\/","title":{"rendered":"Donald Trump and the Belief in Law"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Donald_Trump_-_Caricature\"<\/a>Among Donald Trump\u2019s many provocative statements, his recent claims that a specific federal judge with a \u201cMexican heritage\u201d and Muslim judges in general would be biased against him have apparently struck a special chord.\u00a0 Even Trump\u2019s fellow Republicans have been highly critical.\u00a0 Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, for example, completed disavowed Trump\u2019s claims, noting \u201cAll of us come here from somewhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most of the criticisms deplore Trump\u2019s lack of respect for American diversity and also his racism.\u00a0 House Speaker Paul Ryan said in this regard that Trump\u2019s comments amounted to \u201ctextbook racism.\u201d\u00a0 However, I wonder if some part of the strong negative reaction also relates to Trump\u2019s challenge to an American belief in law and in the courts\u2019 ability to apply law in a fair and objective manner.<\/p>\n

I have argued in several of my writings that a belief in law should be recognized as an important tenet of American ideology, with \u201cideology\u201d being understood as a normative expression of dominant beliefs rather than as a manipulative falsehood.\u00a0 Americans have traditionally believed in law, which is presumably understandable, made in public, and useful for one and all.\u00a0 In addition, law is supposed to be applied without bias, and independent courts in particular are expected to adjudicate disputes fairly and to decide similar cases in similar ways.\u00a0 \u201cIdeologues\u201d —\u00a0that is, believers in and promoters of this ideology– routinely assure us that Americans live by the rule of law more so than any other nation.<\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s comments about the judiciary problematize the notion of independent courts ruling fairly and without bias, and political leaders and government officials \u2013 those most likely to champion the belief in law \u2013 have taken the greatest umbrage.\u00a0 In his criticism of Trump, Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican from South Carolina, referenced still another figure who disrespected the belief in law.\u00a0 Graham deplored Trump\u2019s claims, saying they were \u201cthe most un-American thing from a politician since Joe McCarthy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Caricature by DonkeyHotey<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Among Donald Trump\u2019s many provocative statements, his recent claims that a specific federal judge with a \u201cMexican heritage\u201d and Muslim judges in general would be biased against him have apparently struck a special chord.\u00a0 Even Trump\u2019s fellow Republicans have been highly critical.\u00a0 Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, for example, completed disavowed Trump\u2019s claims, noting \u201cAll 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