Trump Targets Judiciary to Expand Executive Power, Autocrat Playbook Analysis

In his second term, President Donald Trump is systematically targeting the U.S. judiciary, a critical check on executive power, by attacking judges and challenging court orders. According to University of Massachusetts-Amherst Supreme Court expert Paul Collins, Trump's strategy follows an autocrat playbook to sideline courts and inject politics into the federal bureaucracy. The Supreme Court has already delivered key wins for Trump's administration, but several pending cases will determine how much power he can accrue. Trump has publicly criticized what he calls 'radical left judges' and has been accused of ignoring or evading court orders. The analysis comes from 'The Making of an Autocrat' podcast episode 4, which examines Trump's systematic efforts to weaken judicial independence and expand presidential authority beyond traditional constitutional limits.