Yes, he is a Federalist, recommended by the Federalist Society. He has said one of the influential documents on the Constitution are the Federalist papers, with Federalist #10-Madison on factions his favorite.
Federalist believe in a strong executive, that is true. That does not mean they believe in a dictatorship. Besides a strong executive, Federalist believe in separation of power. When Brett read the Federalist papers, he would have read that when Federalist talked about a “General truth or fundamental principle,” the separation of powers comes up the most. So true Federalist believe deeply in the principle of separation of powers.
The separation of powers is so fundamental to liberty and preventing tyranny, that it is mentioned in the Federalist papers #38, #45, #47, #48, #58, #66, #71 and #81, that I can find. Two examples follow…
Giving the President the power to spend money as he sees fit: “It is particularly dangerous to give the keys of the treasury, and the command of the army, into the same hands.” (Fed #38-Madison)
Fundamental to the principle of separation of powers, is power of the government to spend money. “This power over the purse may, in fact, be regarded as the most complete and effectual weapon with which any constitution can arm….” (Fed #58-Madison)
The Federalist papers also state that the founders considered the House of Representatives as the “natural superior branch”. Under this branch it gave the power of the purse because it was a “mirror of the nation.”
The legislative branch has negotiated a deal on the border wall, sent it to the President, and he signed it. If he felt the amount of money in the bill was too low, he should have vetoed it. That is how our system of checks and balances work. True Federalist who believe in Constitutional principles will see this plainly for what it is-an abuse of power.
The only question is how many Republicans in Congress will put country and Constitution they took an oath to defend, over Trump and their fear of facing a Trump acolyte in a primary. Will history record them as an enabler to a wannabe dictator?
Fortunately, I feel confident the Supreme Court will rule decisively against Trump and for the Constitution and separation of power, if it gets that far. The power of the purse was given to the House of Representatives for a specific reason-as Madison says in Fed. #45, “...the preservation of liberty requires that the three great departments of power should be separate and district.”
Thomas Jefferson on the Federalist papers: “The best commentary on the principles of government, which has ever been written.”