Episode 134: Masterpiece Cakeshop, Presidential Pardons, and Separated Families

In this episode, Natalia, Neil, and Niki debate the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Masterpiece Cakeshop case, Donald Trump’s use of the presidential pardon, and the American tradition of separating families.

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Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:

• The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case. Neil referred to Tisa Wenger’s book Religious Freedom: The Contested History of An American Ideal and Sarah Posner’s Nation article about the conservative Christian advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom.
• President Trump has legal scholars thinking about whether a president is legally permitted to pardon himself. Natalia cited this Washington Post article by Lawrence Tribe, Richard Painter, and Norman Eisen arguing a president cannot pardon himself. Niki cited Bob Bauer’s Lawfare article about the larger demagogic nature of Trump’s presidency.
• The Trump administration has intensified a policy separating families at the U.S.-Mexico border. Niki cited historian Martha Jones’ Medium slideshow about the history of separating enslaved families. Natalia cited historian Walter Johnson’s book Soul by Soul: Life Inside the Antebellum Slave Market and Niki recommended historian Heather A. Williams’ Help Me to Find My People: The African American Search for Family Lost in Slavery.

In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History:

• Natalia talked about Hilary Levey Friedman’s USA Today article, “Good Riddance to the Miss America Pageant, But Did We Have to Lose Fitness Too?”
• Neil discussed the German TV show Deutschland 83, now available on Hulu.
• Niki recommended Yoni Appelbaum’s Atlantic article, “Which America Is Trump Celebrating?”