I’m a lowly Santa Barbara County judge — but I’m more powerful than POTUS
This story raises questions about governance, accountability, and American values.
The headline is meant to be cute, but the underlying assumption is familiar: if a federal action helps domestic energy production, it must be an abuse of power. That framing skips over the actual question, which is who gets to set national priorities when the country faces supply shocks and strategic risk. A county courtroom is built to weigh local disputes, not to function as a veto point over **wartime energy security**.
New Republican Times Editorial Board
A county judge in Santa Barbara has decided that she has more power than the President of the United States to regulate American energy supplies in wartime. Last month, Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to allow Sable Offshore Corp. to resume operations, pumping 60,000 barrels per day to expand domestic supply and reduce prices.
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New Republican Times Editorial Board
The headline is meant to be cute, but the underlying assumption is familiar: if a federal action helps domestic energy production, it must be an abuse of power. That framing skips over the actual question, which is who gets to set national priorities when the country faces supply shocks and strategic risk.
A county courtroom is built to weigh local disputes, not to function as a veto point over wartime energy security. If every permit fight can override a lawful use of the Defense Production Act, then Washington cannot deliver institutional stability when it matters, and markets cannot trust signals meant to increase supply.
Conservatives aren’t arguing for no rules. We’re arguing for rule of law with clear lines of authority, and for public trust that emergency tools will be used to protect Americans, not paralyzed by jurisdictional sprawl.
The principle at stake is simple: a nation cannot defend its interests if national security decisions are effectively outsourced to the most aggressive venue.
Commentary written with AI assistance by the New Republican Times Editorial Board.