Marco Rubio Doesn’t Know How Many Gov’t Branches There Are But Is Sure None Of Them Can Tell Trump ‘No’

Here we go again with the party of the rule of law." The rule of law doesn't apply to the Trump Administration. It only applies to the victims of its vindictive policies.

But the least it could do is get some basic facts straight before talking out of its ass about whatever new fascist scheme it wants to deploy. And who better to display his ignorance of the law (which used to be no excuse) than the man who spent some time being Trump's punching bag before convincing the Big Boss he could be a valuable bootlicker.

Anchor baby Rubio used to be nothing more than an opportunistic senator who hitched his wagon to Trump's star. It took several years for that risky bet to pay off. When Trump returned to office for a belated victory lap in 2024, Rubio was elevated to the position of Secretary of State, a position he has absolutely no qualifications for. That certainly doesn't make him unique in the Trump Administration, but perhaps explains why he's so bad at everything he's doing now, including (apparently) being able to remember basic facts about the US government.

On his way to claiming Trump has no masters, Rubio swept away an entire branch of government in his haste to defend the administration's actions in its War on Brown People. Here's how that went down in a recent Senate hearing, as reported by Hafiz Rashid for The New Republic.

After first insulting the senator who actually went to visit Kilmer Abrego Garcia - someone the Trump Administration has openly admitted it mistakenly sent to an El Salvadoran maximum security prison - by claiming (without facts in evidence) that Garcia is a human trafficker" Senator Chris Van Hollen had margaritas with" - Rubio went on to claim no one can take Trump down.

His reasoning for this claim? Well, it involves vanishing an entire branch of the US government before moving on to claim the courts don't have the power to prevent the King from cooking.

There is a division in our government between the federal branch and the judicial branch. No judge, and the judicial branch, cannot tell me or the president how to conduct foreign policy," Rubio said. No judge can tell how I have to outreach to a foreign partner or what I need to say to them. And if do reach to that foreign partner and talk to them, I am under no obligation to share that with the judiciary branch."

Well, there are actually three branches. Rubio may have chosen to forget the legislative branch since he's been elevated out of it. But even if he just meant to delineate the difference between these two branches, he's still wrong. That's why there are three branches: to ensure no single branch consolidates so much power it can't be held back by the other two branches.

But that's exactly what Rubio goes on to assert: the executive branch is at the top of the republic's food chain. And when the King is hungry, he eats. In addition, everyone appointed to an executive position - despite their complete lack of qualifications or skills - is above the rest of the co-equal branches.

So, it's all wrong. It's all very disturbing. Rubio is saying all of this out loud, not caring what the legislative and judicial branches think of his proclamations. He truly believes the executive branch answers to no one. And even if he doesn't truly believe this, he's pushing this narrative on behalf of his benefactor (singular!).

It shouldn't surprise anyone. This is what the administration has been claiming in court, albeit far more subtly. First, it's alleging its power grabs are unable to be questioned by courts. Second, it's refusing to comply with court orders. And, finally, it's openly daring the rest of the government to do something - anything! - about it.

Everything Rubio said here is something Trump and his highest ranking officials truly believe: the President answers to no one. They're wrong (in terms of the law) but so far they've been mostly right because the other branches are failing their duties to act as a check against the administration's unprecedented power grabs. Rubio is still just a foot soldier who will be discarded as soon as Trump's done with him. But he's letting all of us know exactly what the administration thinks about being part of an operative democratic republic: it wants no part of this.