Jacob Weisberg’s book Profiles in Cowardice: A Study of Collaboration in the Trump Era explores how various legal and judicial figures responded to Donald Trump during his second term in office. The book critically examines the actions of prominent legal entities and individuals, including the legal community known as “Capitulation Nation Big Law” and the U.S. Supreme Court. Weisberg argues that many in these institutions chose cooperation over confrontation, often at the expense of legal and ethical standards. One of the book’s more controversial claims centers on Brad Karp, a renowned lawyer and partner at the firm Davis Polk & Wardell. According to Weisberg, Karp struck a deal with Trump that involved only five vague and weak points written on an unsigned piece of paper. This deal, Weisberg suggests, exemplifies the kind of leniency and lack of legal rigor that characterized interactions between Trump and the legal establishment during his presidency. The book also delves into the actions of Chief Justice John Roberts, who, according to Weisberg, has adopted a strategy of treating Trump as a generic Republican rather than a unique political figure. This approach, the author argues, has allowed the Supreme Court to maintain its prestige even as the Justice Department has, at times, ignored or defied federal judges. Additionally, Weisberg critiques Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for reshaping the judiciary in a way that gave Trump the power to bypass the Senate entirely in his judicial appointments. Despite these concerns, Weisberg notes the emergence of potential countervailing forces. For example, Harvard University reportedly refused to engage in similar deals with Trump, signaling a shift in institutional resistance. The book also speculates about the potential influence of Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine during the midterms, suggesting that military leaders might begin to play a more visible role in checking presidential overreach.