Internet Schools JD Vance on Checks and Balances Following Claims That Judges Aren't Allowed to Control Executive Branch

As the Trump administration contends with mounting legal blockades, Vice President JD Vance claimed that judges do not have the authority to direct the executive branch, a statement many saw as a fundamental misunderstanding of the Constitution.

Sunday morning, Vance—a graduate of Yale law school—took to X to state that a judge can't tell a general how to conduct a military operation or the attorney general how to use discretion as a prosecutor, claiming judicial efforts to control the executive branch of government "would be illegal."

Critics from across the political spectrum, including lawmakers, legal experts, and journalists, reminded Vance that the judiciary serves as a crucial check on executive power.

"You don't get to rage-quit the Republic just because you are losing. That's tyranny," Former Representative Liz Cheney wrote bluntly. Representative Sean Casten (D-IL) likened his remarks to the words of a "mad king," while former Representative John Yarmuth suggested Yale Law School—Vance's alma mater—"should be embarrassed."

Legal experts weighed in as well, emphasizing that the judiciary's role is to ensure the executive branch operates within the bounds of the law. "The judiciary makes sure that the executive follows the law. If you do, then you won't have problems," Daniel Goldman, a former federal prosecutor and current congressman, explained. Others, like journalist Aaron Parnas, raised concerns that Vance's comments signaled the administration's intent to "disregard the judiciary if they don't agree with a ruling."

Vance's assertion on the limits of judiciary power follows a series of lawsuits blocking various actions from the Trump administration. Last week, a Judge blocked Trump's federal employee buyout program hours before its deadline, and another temporarily prevented the termination of thousands of USAID workers. Legal action was also brought against Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after the agency was granted access to the Treasury's payment systems. The administration's anti-immigration efforts also face a number of legal challenges.

Adam Schiff (D-MA) echoed growing concern from critics of the administration, which has issued a dizzying array of executive orders and floated ambitions that include taking over the Gaza strip. "Ignoring court decisions we don't like puts us on a dangerous path to lawlessness," Schiff cautioned.

Originally published by Latin Times.