The Jerome Powell investigation shows Trump’s need for limitless power | Austin Sarat

The inquiry into the Federal Reserve chair sends a message to anyone standing in Trump's way - including the supreme court

News that Donald Trump's justice department has launched an investigation of Jerome Powell, chair of the Federal Reserve, is the latest example of the president's governing philosophy: do what I want, or I will crush you. The desire to make Powell's life miserable is also a warning sign to anyone who thinks that they have an independent source of authority.

What is happening to Powell is a test, not just for him and the Fed, but for any other person or institution that dares to stand up to the president.

Austin Sarat, William Nelson Cromwell professor of jurisprudence and political science at Amherst College, is the author or editor of more than 100 books, including Gruesome Spectacles: Botched Executions and America's Death Penalty