Once Again, Trump is Doing Nothing Positive: What Can He Do and What Can’t He Do According to the Constitution?

What did Trump do after placing huge tariffs on 185 countries, with the exceptions of Russia and Saudi Arabia. He went golfing for the 21^st time out of 78 days in office. Each time he travels to one of his golf courses or to Mar-a-Lago, his personal pleasure costs taxpayers a minimum of $650,000. Therefore, although he is taking away your retirement funding, in less than three months he spent $13,650,000. Now to get down to reality: what is he allowed to do legally and illegally?

Legally:

·       make treaties with the approval of the Senate.

·       veto bills and sign bills.

·       represent our nation in talks with foreign countries.

·       enforce the laws that Congress passes.

·       act as Commander-in-Chief during a war.

·       call out troops to protect our nation against an attack.

·       make suggestions about things that should be new laws.

·       lead his political party.

·       entertain foreign guests.

·       recognize foreign countries.

·       grant pardons.

·       nominate Cabinet members and Supreme Court Justices and other high officials.

·       appoint ambassadors.                                                                    

·       talk directly to the people about problems.

·       represent the best interest of all the people

What he is forbidden to do by law.

·       make laws.

·       declare war.

·       decide how federal money will be spent.

·       interpret laws.

·       choose Cabinet members or Supreme Court Justices without Senate approval.

Most of his executive orders exceed his powers, and some are violations of the Constitution.

Let’s begin with the powers given to Elon Musk. Musk was not confirmed by the Senate. Musk does not possess a security clearance which allows him access to information about private citizens. Trump and Musk have decided that they can make their own laws with the elimination of departments designed to expose fraud and corruption within the executive branch. They are spending millions of dollars enforcing their personal version of immigration laws.

He is acting as though he is now a dictator. Maybe he is. No one is standing up to the bully. Each day he is allowed to remain in the White House Trump is destroying a part of what made America a respected nation.

This time Trump is not showing favorites. He is alienating our allies and most of our enemies at the same time. His oligarchs are losing billions of dollars as the stock market continues to fall by hundreds and even thousands of points every day.

Trump’s mental abilities, as minimal as they were, are in steep decline. His decisions have become more rash and he is ignoring his closest advisers with experience in economics.

Finally, if Trump keeps up his current pattern of wasting taxpayer money, after four years, without any other wasteful expenses, he will owe taxpayers $198,000,000. I don’t think Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” would approve.

Op-ed by James Turnage

If you follow my blog, you will be an informed citizen

https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/education/three-branches/what-president-can-do-cannot-do