Bordering on contempt

President Trump is lashing out at those who stand in the way of his harsh vision of American immigration — the rule of law and the orderly workings of our government be damned. If one policy promise propelled Trump to the Republican nomination last year, it was his pledge to build a wall on the 2,000-mile southern border — and make Mexico pay for it.

But, lo siento, Mexico just isn’t putting up the $20 to $70 billion. A transcript of a call between the President and Mexico’s Enrique Peña Nieto that went public earlier this month left no doubt about that. When his Mexican counterpart bluntly reiterated his stand, Trump was reduced to pleading, “You cannot say that to the press.”

Now comes word that Republicans in Congress may well keep funds for the wall out of their budget — which had better damn well be the case, as they simultaneously look poised to slash critical assistance for cities and scientific research by billions of dollars.

In the midst of his raging, rambling Tuesday night rally speech, Trump made clear that he’d punish such a decision by, Ted Cruz-style, grinding the federal government to a halt.

Quoth the decider: “If we have to close down our government, we’re building that wall.”

That a Republican President would threaten a Republican Congress with a shutdown over one narrow budget item — that the President promised would be funded by other means — is madness.

Still more disturbing was the President’s strong hint that he will pardon Arizona’s Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, recently convicted by a federal judge of criminal contempt of court.

In 2013, a court determined that Arpaio had been unconstitutionally targeting Latinos on suspicion of their citizenship status.

Despite being ordered to cease, Arpaio continued for 18 months and all but boasted that he wouldn’t do anything to change the practice. That action caused one federal judge to find Arpaio in contempt civilly — and, last month, a second judge to ding him criminally.

Tuesday, Trump mocked the justice system that serves as a critical check on executive power: “Was Sheriff Joe convicted for doing his job?” he asked the crowd, then teased:

“I’ll make a prediction — I think he is going to be just fine. But I won’t do it tonight because I don’t want to cause any controversy. But Sheriff Joe can feel good.”

A looming pardon of a law enforcement official who willfully ignored a federal court order — and a looming threat of a government shutdown over a multi-billion-dollar expenditure that the President promised wouldn’t cost us a dime.

Such is life in Donald Trump’s America.