Executive branch v courts:

Trump and key members of his administration are lashing out at judges who have blocked some of his second-term agenda, suggesting they don’t have the authority to question his executive power.

Parenthetically, why do journalists so often say “suggesting” instead of “saying”? I suppose it’s an excess of caution for the sake of peace, but at the price of enfeebling the journalism. Trump and his people are saying these things very loudly and explicitly, so to call it “suggesting” is both absurd and cowardly.

So far, the courts have pushed back on Trump’s attempts to end birthright citizenship, freeze federal grants, and the overhaul of federal agencies like USAID and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Over the weekend, the administration hit another roadblock when a federal judge temporarily restricted Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing the Treasury Department’s vast federal payment system, which contains sensitive information of millions of Americans.

Musk accused the judge of being “corrupt” and called for him to be immediately impeached.

Please note: not a suggestion.

Their pushback against the judiciary comes as Trump and his allies assert a sweeping theory of presidential power, one they say gives him sole control of the executive branch. Legal experts told ABC News they believe the Trump administration is trying to set up cases to test that theory before the Supreme Court.

Democrats say Trump is trying to subvert checks and balances under the U.S. Constitution, including the role of Congress in setting the scope of federal agencies and conducting oversight.

“I think this is the most serious constitutional crisis the country has faced certainly since Watergate,” Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy said on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday. “The president is attempting to seize control of power, and for corrupt purposes.”

Also not a suggestion. Neither side is suggesting.