Trump has never had to grapple with this high a degree of scrutiny and interference. He also and equally notably has never had more power, and one of the primary ways in which he’s already a president of great consequence is that he has markedly altered the ideological makeup of the federal judiciary—up to and including, of course, the Supreme Court. And this is what people who know him the best think about when they think about Trump in his role as litigator in chief.

“I think he expects that the judges he appoints will help him one day,” said Michael D’Antonio, a Trump biographer and a CNN analyst.

“I think he believes that every suit he’s involved in will go to the Supreme Court and he will win,” Res said.

“Because he’s got the deck stacked,” O’Donnell said.

“I think,” O’Brien said, “unless institutions, particularly the law enforcement community and Congress, stand up for the rule of law, Trump is going to do an end-run around people.”