In constitutional law, animus is defined as ill will toward a group of people for discriminatory, illegitimate reasons — because they’re Black, women, born in another country, queer, or belong to an unpopular group. One through-line in Donald Trump’s style of governance over the years has been animus. His Muslim travel ban, his decision to expel transgender servicemembers from the military, and his administration’s crackdown on so-called gender ideology and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, to name a few areas, are all expressions of animus toward people, groups, even ideas, which the law can and should protect but the president has seen fit to crush or banish.

The animus in Trump’s decision to federalize the Illinois National Guard , like his decision to federalize th

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