This is The Opinions, a show that brings you a mix of voices from New York Times opinion.
You've heard the news.
Here's what to make of it.
I'm David Leonhart, the director of the New York Times editorial board.
Every week, I'm having conversations to help shape the board's opinions.
One thing that I find useful right now is talking with President Trump's conservative critics.
They tend to be alarmed by the president's behavior,
but they also tend to be more optimistic than many progressives about whether American democracy is surviving the Trump presidency.
And that combination helps me and my colleagues think about where the biggest risks to our country really are.
One area I've been wrestling with is the federal court system.
I want to understand the extent to which the courts are acting as a check on President Trump
as he tries to amass more power,
or whether the courts are actually helping him amass that power.
So I decided to have a conversation with Michael McConnell.
He's a former federal judge who's now a law professor at Stanford University.
And he's a conservative.
He was appointed to the bench by George W. Bush.
But McConnell is also disturbed by aspects of Trump's behavior.
And I find our conversation helpful because it highlights some reasons for optimism right now,
as well as some of the biggest threats that our country faces.