Justice Dept. Memo Blessing Boat Strikes Is Said to Rely on Trump’s Claims About Cartels

Accounts of a secret Justice Department memo offer a window into how administration lawyers approved the president’s desired course of action.

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Trump Weighs Options, and Risks, for Attacks on Venezuela

President Trump has yet to make a decision, but his advisers are pressing a range of objectives — from attacking drug cartels to seizing oil fields — to try to justify ousting Nicolás Maduro.

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The Peril of a White House That Flaunts Its Indifference to the Law

The White House has made no legal argument explaining its bald claim that the president has wartime power to summarily kill people suspected of smuggling drugs.

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There Are Lessons From the Nixon Era in Trump’s Attempts to Freeze Spending

Half a century ago, Congress protected its power of the purse, and conservatives balked at letting presidents disobey lawmakers’ instructions.

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How the Supreme Court’s Injunction Ruling Expands Trump’s Power

The court tied the hands of judges at a time when Congress has been cowed and internal executive branch constraints have been steamrolled.

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Trump Orders Investigation of Biden and His Aides

The executive order is the latest effort by President Trump to stoke outlandish conspiracy theories about his predecessor and question the legality of his actions in office.

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Does Trump Have the Power to Install Jeanine Pirro as Interim U.S. Attorney?

By using another interim appointment to fill a vacancy for the top prosecutor in Washington, the White House is bypassing Senate confirmation and potentially claiming expansive authority.

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Trump Sidelines Justice Dept. Legal Office, Eroding Another Check on His Power

As President Trump claims expansive and disputed powers, his administration has curbed the influential Office of Legal Counsel.

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How Trump Has Tuned Out a Key Justice Dept. Legal Office

The Office of Legal Counsel issues opinions that are supposed to bind the executive branch. The Trump administration has taken steps and made claims in tension with several of them.

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Trump Team Tightens Control Over Government Lawyers Who Might Say ‘No’

At the Justice Department and the Pentagon, the administration is curtailing the ability of lawyers to raise internal objections to the president’s use of power.

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