28 June 2019

Complications

Yesterday, the Supreme Court announced their final cases for the term, and that included one case where they blocked Donald Trump's administration from putting a controversial citizenship case on the 2020 census form (details here).

The question was controversial because inclusion on the form would work to the benefit of Republicans at the expense of Democrats. So it was clearly a politically motivated attempt.

The Supreme Court smacked down the Trump administration because, essentially, they ruled without specifically saying it that Trump's Commerce Secretary had lied about the reason why they wanted the question on the census form.

The high court did not invalidate the citizenship question per se, but finding a valid reason ex post facto will be difficult with the matter now going back to the trial court for further consideration. Given that census forms must be printed in the next few months and mailed by April 1, the Trump administration is likely out of time or soon will be.

In reaction to the Supreme Court ruling, Trump called it "ridiculous" and said he was asking his lawyers about how they can delay the census (details here). When you're losing the game, you then try to move the goalposts.

His request for a delay demonstrates Trump's profound ignorance of the Constitution. The census is required every ten years, and the last one was in 2010, so that means the next one is required in 2020. And federal law also requires the questions be sent by April 1.

So, no, neither federal law nor the Constitution allows for a delay chucklehead. Maybe if your administration had not lied about why the question was necessary, you wouldn't be in this fix.

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