We the People

In this episode, legal scholars Michael Ramsey and Jed Shugerman the Supreme Court’s recent decisions in Trump v. Slaughter and Trump v. Cook, which address the president’s authority to remove members of the executive branch. They trace the history of presidential removal power from the founding era through the Court’s 1935 landmark Humphrey’s Executor decision to the present day and explore what Slaughter and Cook may mean for the future of executive power. Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates.

Resources

Trump v. Cook (2026)

Trump v. Slaughter (2026)

Humphrey's Executor v. United States (1935)

“Trump v. Slaughter: Another Win for Justice Scalia,” Michael Ramsey, The Originalism Blog, June 30, 2026

Brief Amicus Curiae of Professor Jed Shugerman in Trump v. Slaughter

“Supreme Court allows Trump to fire FTC member but not Fed director,” National Constitution Center’s Constitution Daily

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In this episode, legal scholars Jonathan Adler, Greg Garre, Katherine Mims Crocker, and Howard Wasserman discuss the state of civil discourse inside the Supreme Court and in public debate about the Court. Julie Silverbrook, chief content and learning officer at the National Constitution Center, moderates. This conversation was recorded live in Philadelphia on July 7, 2026, as part of the National Constitution Center’s 2026 Supreme Court Review, which is presented in partnership with the Center on the Structural Constitution at Texas A&M University School of Law. The program featured three panels with scholars of differing perspectives examining the Court’s 2025–2026 term, its approach to executive power, and civil discourse surrounding the Court.



Resources

2026 Supreme Court Review: Key Decisions, Executive Power, Civil Discourse, National Constitution Center

“Retired Justice Kennedy laments coarse discourse of Trump era and its effects on the Supreme Court,” Associated Press, Oct. 8, 2025

“Justice Thomas Bemoans Incivility as Security Prompts Cancellation of In-Person Speech,” The New York Times, Feb. 27, 2026

“Justices Hint at Strains as Supreme Court Comes Under Scrutiny,” The New York Times, May 18, 2026

“Takeaways From Rare Congressional Testimony by Two Supreme Court Justices,” The New York Times, July 15, 2026

Stay Connected and Learn More

Stay connected with We the People—follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen.

Questions or comments? Email ⁠podcast@constitutioncenter.org⁠.

Follow @ConstitutionCtr on social media and ⁠sign up⁠ to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate.

Support our important work by making a donation today.

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In this episode, legal scholars Gillian Metzger, Julian Mortenson, and Ilya Somin discuss the Supreme Court’s approach to executive power in recent decisions. Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates. This conversation was recorded live in Philadelphia on July 7, 2026, as part of the National Constitution Center’s 2026 Supreme Court Review, which is presented in partnership with the Center on the Structural Constitution at Texas A&M University School of Law. The program featured three panels with scholars of differing perspectives examining the Court’s 2025-2026 term, its approach to executive power, and civil discourse within and concerning the Court.



Resources

2026 Supreme Court Review: Key Decisions, Executive Power, Civil Discourse, National Constitution Center

Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump (2026)

Trump v. Slaughter (2026)

Trump v. Cook (2026)

Trump v. Illinois (2025)

Stay Connected and Learn More

Stay connected with We the People—follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen.

Questions or comments? Email podcast@constitutioncenter.org.

Follow @ConstitutionCtr on social media and sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate.

Support our important work by making a donation today.

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In this episode, Richard Epstein and Martha Jones discuss the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Trump v. Barbara, which struck down President Trump’s Executive Order on birthright citizenship. At issue in the case was whether the Constitution guarantees citizenship to children born to parents unlawfully or temporarily present in the United States. The Court concluded that it did. Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, moderates. 

 

Resources 


Trump v. Barbara (2026) 


Brief of Amicus Curiae Professor Richard A. Epstein 


Brief of Historians Martha S. Jones and Kate Masur as Amici Curiae 


“Supreme Court strikes down Trump’s birthright citizenship executive order in landmark decision,” Scott Bomboy for the National Constitution Center’s Constitution Daily Blog 


“In birthright citizenship opinions, a major constitutional disagreement,” Marcia Coyle for the National Constitution Center’s Constitution Daily Blog 


United States v. Wong Kim Ark (1898), National Constitution Center 


The Citizenship Clause, National Constitution Center

Stay Connected and Learn More 

Stay connected with We the People—follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen. 

Questions or comments? Email podcast@constitutioncenter.org. 

Follow @ConstitutionCtr on social media and sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate. 

Support our important work by making a donation today. 

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In this episode, David Blight, Robert P. George, and Annette Gordon-Reed explore the enduring ideas at the core of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution—including equality, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and government by consent—and examine how those principles have been debated, interpreted, and contested over time. Moderated by Thomas Donnelly, lead scholar at the National Constitution Center, the conversation invites audiences to engage deeply with the ideas that launched a nation and to consider how our shared constitutional story continues to unfold. 

 

This conversation was recorded live in Philadelphia on June 8, 2026, as part of the NCC’s America’s Town Hall series. It is presented in partnership with the Organization of American Historians and the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute. 

 

Resources 


Annotated Declaration of Independence, National Constitution Center 


Interactive Constitution, National Constitution Center 


The Promise of America: Reflections on Our Enduring Ideals 

Stay Connected and Learn More

Stay connected with We the People—follow, rate, and review the show wherever you listen.

Questions or comments about the show? Email podcast@constitutioncenter.org

Follow @ConstitutionCtr on social media and Sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate.


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