A law professor from the University of Baltimore School of Law has raised serious concerns about former President Donald Trump’s latest legal maneuver and the willingness of the Supreme Court’s conservative majority to enable him. Legal expert Kim Wehle described Trump’s actions as both “bizarre” and a troubling signal of his authoritarian ambitions.
The case in question involves the popular social media platform TikTok. The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on a law passed by Congress that could lead to its shutdown. Trump’s attempt to intervene—despite no longer holding office—has drawn sharp criticism.
Writing for The Bulwark, Wehle argued that Trump’s interference is not only inappropriate but deeply troubling. She noted the absurdity of Trump asking the Supreme Court to delay their hearing so he could pursue an alternative course of action.
“For those who continue to pretend that we are not at risk of careening into authoritarianism—or worse—this filing should be a final wakeup call,” Wehle wrote.
Wehle also pointed out that the Supreme Court does not have the authority to simply “stay” a law passed by Congress and signed by the sitting president—unless the law is found to violate constitutional protections like the First Amendment. That is not the case here, she explained, and it is impossible to resolve such claims before the law takes effect.
“The feebleness and audacity of Trump’s brief would be astonishing coming from any Supreme Court litigant, let alone a former president,” she wrote. “During normal times, the Supreme Court would treat this rather embarrassing piece of legal writing as a throwaway.”
But these are not normal times, Wehle warned.
“This is not a normal Supreme Court majority,” she said. She pointed to the court’s controversial decision last summer, which she argued effectively granted Trump the ability to abuse presidential powers without accountability—a move she says has no basis in the Constitution and directly contradicts its text.
Wehle’s concern is clear: the Supreme Court’s conservative majority is showing signs of being willing to bend the law to favor Trump. This could create a pathway for authoritarianism, with little regard for the checks and balances that are supposed to protect democracy.
“This court, like Trump himself, acts without accountability,” she wrote, “even when it violates the Constitution.”
Wehle’s warning comes as many Americans are growing uneasy about the court’s direction and its potential to pave the way for Trump—or someone like him—to seize even more power in the future.
