Hey, how is this supposed to end?

The U.S. House Ways and Means Committee — under the protection of established federal law — demands that the Treasury Department hand over Donald Trump’s tax returns for congressional review.

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin says “no” to the request of Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal. He won’t do it. No way, man.

But doesn’t the Ways and Means panel have the law on its side? It’s my understanding that the force of law means that everyone has to knuckle under to it — even the executive branch of the U.S. government.

Mnuchin says the demand is for political purposes, that there’s no legitimate legislative intent implied in the demand.

But wait. Neal says Ways and Means needs the returns to assist in its hunt for the truth behind the president’s business dealings and whether — and I think this is a legitimate issue — whether he has broken the law and, um, violated the U.S. Constitution.

Oh, but the law is the law. No one is above it. Isn’t that correct? Not even the president of the United States.