Donald J. Trump: Tyrant in the Making Right Before Our Eyes — "Bye, Bye American Pie"

Constitutional Usurper — Tyrant in the Oval Office

Very good article from the Washington Post this subject headline:

Trump threatens to adjourn Congress to get his nominees but likely would be impeded by Senate rules

Trump now has threatened to try to force Congress to adjourn (shut down) so he could fill his administration’s vacancies without Senate approval, the second time this week he has claimed unprecedented executive authority amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The president cited a never-exercised constitutional power to shut down Congress if the House and Senate are in disagreement over adjourning, pushing both the executive and legislative branches into uncharted territory.

Trump asserted that he had “total” authority over the decision to reopen the country, overruling governors’ intent on protecting public health and containing further spread of the coronavirus. 

He seemed to backtrack the next day, suggesting he would work with the governors on such a step.

At his daily coronavirus task force briefing Wednesday (April 15) Trump slammed the common practice by the House and Senate to hold pro forma sessions every two or three days but never formally adjourn, thus thwarting Trump’s ability to bypass the regular Senate confirmation process and install nominees by recess appointments.

Trump told reporters: “The current practice of leaving town while conducting phony pro forma sessions is a dereliction of duty that the American people cannot afford during this crisis.”

I note: So, now Trump considers the country in crisis mode simply to get his way – to hell with his previous many, many denials about the virus and seriousness of the crisis in which he made worse with his inactions and denials – a very long record of denials in the public record.

Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution says the president: “May, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper.”

Senate GOP Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) spoke to Trump on but signaled that he wasn’t on board with the president’s plan as any attempt to formally adjourn the Senate would require all 100 senators traveling back to Washington for such a vote — which McConnell and Senate leaders have deemed unsafe at this point and rightly so.

If such a resolution passed in the Senate, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) would have to bring the current 429 House members back to vote on the same measure, and the Democratic-controlled House likely would oppose it, creating the disagreement between the two chambers.

I Note: And thus, now facing another constitutional crisis caused directly by Trump with his delayed inaction, is once again looking for ways to blame someone, anyone except himself. Recall he once said in response to a question asked by NBC news reporter, Kristen Welker, whether he takes responsibility for the lag in making test kits available, he said: “No. I don’t take responsibility at all.”

Yeah that Donald J. Trump – con man par excellence.

This from two highly respected constitutional experts - their views on this possible move by Trump:

First View from Steve Vladeck, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law: “The Constitution does give the president the authority to unilaterally adjourn both chambers of Congress, but only in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment,” (pointed out by Vladeck on Twitter): there is no such disagreement at present.”

Vladeck writes: “Article II of the Constitution gives the president the power to adjourn Congress if — and only if — the House and Senate cannot agree on a date for ending the current session. But they have agreed — January 3, 2021. There's a reason why this power has never been exercised before.”

Trump's threat also was immediately condemned by Democratic members of Congress.

Second view from Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), a constitutional law expert and member of the House Judiciary Committee told the 

Washington Post: “Dissolving an assembly comes out of a dictator's handbook and that’s banana republic stuff.”

My 2 cents: One more disaster red flare to signal that “Donald the Tyrant” is totally losing control and seeking anyway possible to blame anyone including Congress as a whole with this wild-ass opinion – again anyone besides himself.

Now our well-established three branches of government with separation of powers is under fire because Trump wants only one branch: his branch.

Trump wants no Congress and only a judicial system wherein he makes appointments and decides what decisions they make on his behalf and not much else.

What a deal, right, Mr. Dictator-in-Waiting?

Again, the man is incorrigible and will be at this stage forever.

Thanks for stopping by.