Opinion: The lawless presidency

View in [Browser]( | Add nytdirect@nytimes.com to your address book. [The New York Times]( [The New York Times]( Tuesday, June 6, 2017 [NYTimes.com/Opinion »]( [David Leonhardt] David Leonhardt Op-Ed Columnist In two days, when James Comey is scheduled to testify to Congress, the country’s attention will again turn to President Trump’s attempts to interfere with the legal system. Those attempts have become a major theme of his presidency. And they’re not only about Russia. Together, they represent a fairly comprehensive rejection of the rule of law — the notion that consistent principles, rather than raw power, hold sway in a society. I think it’s important to step back from the day-to-day noise that Trump generates and consider the many ways he has rejected the rule of law. I’ve devoted my [column this week]( to that subject and focus on five Trump administration themes: 1. Politicizing law enforcement 2. Undermining judges 3. Setting separate standards for Trump officials 4. Denying the full benefits of citizenship to some Americans 5. Redefining truth I hope you’ll read [the column](. The full Opinion report from The Times follows, including Jessica Bennett [on Wonder Woman]( and David Brooks’s [column]( which asks what you would do if you had a billion dollars to use for good. Editorial [Where Are the United States Attorneys?]( By THE EDITORIAL BOARD President Trump fired half after the others quit. Yet the law-and-order president hasn’t even nominated a single replacement. Op-Ed Columnist [Giving Away Your Billion]( By DAVID BROOKS What would I do if I had a billion bucks to use for good? Op-Ed Columnist [A Case for Jeremy Corbyn]( By ROGER COHEN Theresa May’s Trump coddling and other disasters. Op-Ed Columnist [The Lawless Presidency]( By DAVID LEONHARDT James Comey’s testimony this week will highlight one of the major ways President Trump prefers the rule of rulers to the rule of law. GAIL COLLINS AND BRET STEPHENS [The Polar Bear in the Room]( Collins and Stephens on President Trump’s withdrawal from Paris and his insertion of himself into London. ADVERTISEMENT Op-Ed Contributor [If Wonder Woman Can Do It, She Can Too]( By JESSICA BENNETT What a strong woman on-screen can really do. Contributing Op-Ed Writer [How Not to Talk About Terrorism]( By WALEED ALY These politicians cheer on every advance of the security state but then suddenly scorch those who run it. Contributing Op-Ed Writer [What We Lose by Barring Refugees]( By ANTONY J. BLINKEN After the most recent London attacks, President Trump doubled down on his call for a travel ban. But that ban has never really been about security. Contributing Op-Ed Writer [Mr. Trump: Stop Tweeting and Go Back to Bed]( By RICHARD A. FRIEDMAN It’s hard to sound reasonable in the early morning, even if you’re not an erratic, sleep-deprived president. Editorial [Help Poor New Yorkers Buy Transit Passes]( By THE EDITORIAL BOARD The City Council’s subsidy plan is worthy of a mayoral embrace. Ernesto Londoño [One Guantánamo, Two Worlds]( By ERNESTO LONDOÑO We know about the prison, but what about the surreal suburban community next door? Vietnam ‘67 [The Women Who Fought for Hanoi]( By ELIZABETH D. HERMAN They were a critical part of North Vietnam’s war effort, but today they are largely forgotten. Op-Ed Contributor [The Secret to My Success? Antidepressants]( By JULIA FIERRO Some say the medications stifle creativity. For me it was the opposite. Red Century [The Unexpected Afterlife of American Communism]( By SARAH JAFFE Although grass-roots activists have long been painted as alien agitators, a proud homegrown tradition persists. Op-Ed Contributor [The Error of Arming the Syrian Kurds]( By KYLE W. ORTON American backing for Kurdish militias not only angers Turkey, a NATO ally, but may harm the effort to stamp out ISIS. Fixes [Selling Doctors on Cutting Drug Costs]( By JAY HANCOCK A New York health insurer finds pitchmen for cost-saving generics rather than brand-name drugs. How? By poaching them from Big Pharma. HOW ARE WE DOING? We’d love your feedback on this newsletter. Please email thoughts and suggestions to [opinionnewsletter@nytimes.com](mailto:opinionnewsletter@nytimes.com?subject=Opinion%20Today%20Newsletter%20Feedback). ADVERTISEMENT The Six-Day War at 50 [How the 1967 War Came Home to Me]( By HANAN ASHRAWI For every Palestinian touched by the conflict’s aftermath, the occupation is personal. The Six-Day War at 50 [Still Stuck Between May and June of 1967]( By YOSSI KLEIN HALEVI The abrupt transition from trauma to triumph has shaped Israel’s political choices for the past 50 years. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | SUNDAY REVIEW [The Specialists’ Stranglehold on Medicine]( By JAMIE KOUFMAN Neither political party is addressing the real reason health care costs so much. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | SUNDAY REVIEW [On Ireland’s Border: ‘That Sad Old Game’]( By GARRETT CARR Thanks to “Brexit,” Borderlanders will have to adapt, yet again, to what distant powers decide for them. Letters [In London: ‘We Won’t Be Intimidated’]( Readers discuss British resilience, radicalization of young Muslims, gun control, Donald Trump and Ariana Grande. SIGN UP FOR THE VIETNAM ’67 NEWSLETTER Examining America’s long war in Southeast Asia [through the course]( of a single year. FOLLOW OPINION [Facebook] [FACEBOOK]( [Twitter] [@nytopinion]( [Pinterest] [Pinterest]( Get more [NYTimes.com newsletters »](  | Get unlimited access to NYTimes.com and our NYTimes apps for just $0.99. [Subscribe »]( ABOUT THIS EMAIL You received this message because you signed up for NYTimes.com's Opinion Today newsletter. 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