From the very moment President Joe Biden announced his unilateral “cancellation” of $10,000 per borrower in student loan debt, critics have blasted his plan as unfair, costly, and unconstitutional. In response, the White House has grasped at straws to try to justify it somehow having the authority to usurp Congress’s constitutional powers and spend money without legislation. But the president just tipped his hand — and revealed that he actually does know his plan is unlawful.

Here’s the backstory.