WHAT COULD A TRUMP DO
WITHOUT CONGRESS PERMISSION??
This is the question that scares Republican and Democratic leaders in Congress, the most. What could a President Trump do, that will require no Congressional approval?? After all, he is fond of reminding us he is beholden to no one, not Congress, not either party, not even “we the people”.
Well let’s take a look at the potential, based on Trumps own campaign promises to his supporters and any restrictions our current laws will impose upon the the executive power of lord Trump:
1 – Trump can ban all Muslims.
2 – He can deport all eleven (11) million undocumented immigrants. Our immigration law may be “broken” but this is after all, the current broken law. The hitch to accomplishing this will only be where to get the money. Deporting all eleven-million will require significant resources; Congress controls resource allocation.
3 – He can immediately revoke U.S. trade agreements, NAFTA for one, agreements that have taken years to get into place and will be very hard to put anything back into place.
4 – Trump can launch a preemptive nuclear strike, ANYWHERE, Middle East, Europe, anywhere he deems there is a terrorist movement.
5 – He can put preemptive boots on the ground (deploy the military) at his whim.
6 – He can follow through with his promise to reinstate the torture tactics of former VP Dick Cheney and ratchet up Cheney’s heinousness to include torture.
Trump promised to take it to the next level and order the assassination of families of suspected terrorists.
Congress could stop him IF, they pass a bill saying that this activity is unlawful; wait, will the party of Trump ban Trump?? Even if so, that may be months or even years in the offing.
The only thing that will stop Trump on this, will be a revolt by our military, not Congress!!
7 – Trump can withdraw the U.S. from the Iran deal, he can re-embargo Cuba, withdraw us from the W.T.O., from NATO?? He could terminate the U.S.-Japan defense agreement and many others.
8 – He can slap tariffs on China, and other nations without Congress pre-approval.
9 – He can withdraw the U.S. from all global environmental impact agreements, talks; he could withdraw from the Paris climate change agreement.
10 – He can alienate, offend, threaten – world leaders. After all He will be viewed as our new face, personality, and conscience.
11 – Trump can loose his tongue, oh wait it is always on the loose; get us into a conflict that puts us at direct odds with other large superpower nations like China, Russia, or how about a billion-Muslims.
12 – He can twitter us right into a war and antagonize true extremists of the world, to attack us outright or do to our families, what Trump is promising to do to them.
13 – Trump can use the power of the DOJ and law enforcement, to his own ends and means, settling scores, crunching opposition, punishing those he dislikes, and evade Congressional scrutiny. Anti-trust investigations against companies who he dislikes – Amazon for one; how many others??
I wonder if he might try and oust a Supreme Court justice who does not step to His beat??
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Jennifer Rubin put it this way:
[Mitch] McConnell has committed a quintessential Kinsley gaffe. (“A gaffe is when a politician tells the truth.”) Trump would become the most powerful person in the Free World and the head of a party. The GOP would literally become his party. His pronouncements and positions would be echoed by and defended by the entire GOP apparatus.
That leaves fretful voters to ponder: Shouldn’t they make doubly sure Trump never gets to the White House? On the off chance he does, should they make sure there is at least a Democratic Senate?
Here are three things that Trump boasts about doing, but that he cannot do without a willing Congress approval
1 – He CANNOT build His great wall, not without both Houses approval.
2 – He CANNOT give the top 1%, a 19% tax cut. This sort of action is a part of taxing and budget; can only be drafted/approved by Congress. Then only, can Trump approve or veto, not before.
3 – Trump CANNOT repeal the healthcare law (Obamacare), without 3/5 majority in the U.S. Senate and a 51% majority in the U.S. House – both. That is what is called a SUPERMAJORITY, will surely, surely be required to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
References
Washington Post – McConnell “can’t restrain Trump”
NY Times – What Trump Could do