“It’s very sad that Republicans, even some that were carried over the line on my back, do very little to protect their President,”
Donald J. Trump
President Trump’s recent tweets provide unmistakable evidence he has forgotten, does not understand or chooses to disregard the oath that he and all other federal officials have sworn; “to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States”.
Members of his Administration and Congress have no duty to “protect their president”, other than from physical harm.
Beyond their oath, the primary obligation of members of Congress is to represent their constituents. As not all Republicans or Democrats were elected by monolithic voter blocs, individual positions on pending legislation (whether on health care, immigration, tax reform, border walls or climate change) may vary, irrespective of party affiliation.
Threatening, rather than respecting the votes of Senators or Representatives that may run contrary to the president’s views, is an anathema to and shows contempt for our representative democracy.
Members of his Administration also owe their first allegiance to the Constitution and the rule of law, not to any individual. As to Trump’s whining that if, “Jeff Sessions … was going to recuse himself he should have told me before he took the job and I would have picked somebody else” further reinforces another of Trump’s proclivities, revising history and creating “facts” to suit his knee-jerk reactions. In this instance, the Sessions’ meetings with the Russian Ambassador and his subsequent recusal did not occur until after his confirmation.
Meantime, Trumps relentless assault on the media continues unabated.
After what was widely seen and reported by the New York Times and others as a “private “ meeting between Trump and Putin at the G-20 dinner, the president struck back tweeting the meeting was “brief” and, “Fake News story of secret dinner with Putin is sick.” Actually, it was over and hour long and it was the president who used the word “secret”; another in his repertoire of fabricating the news.
This is the second time the president has met with senior Russian officials without any members of his staff or even a US interpreter present. The lack of a U.S. translator raised eyebrows among other leaders at the dinner and generated questions about it being a “breach of national security protocol.” One wonders what Trump is willing to privately concede to “make a great deal.” Paraphrasing the president, “what does he have to hide?”
There is a reason, Freedom of the Press was included the First Amendment. Thomas Jefferson recognized that principle when he wrote to John Jay in 1786, before either the Constitution or Bill of Rights had been written, “Our liberty cannot be guarded but by the freedom of the press, nor that be limited without danger of losing it.”
Perhaps Donald Trump should spend more time revisiting our Founder’s guiding principles concerning press freedom instead of echoing disturbing elements of Mien Kampf.
Donald Trump continues to act in a manner similar to that he had as president of a family business where he effectively enjoyed unchecked power and demanded unwavering loyalty from all of his underlings.
The President possesses an egocentric view of the world in which he believes he is smarter and a better deal-maker than any other person, living or dead. His self-perceived adoration was further enhanced by his run on The Apprentice, where he seemed to take great pride in telling people, “You’re fired!”
Fortunately for the American people, the President of the United States must confine his actions to the constitutional limitations of his office and the realities of Beltway politics that often preempt the personal desires of a president.
Yet, significant questions remain as to whether the Congress, and Republican Party in particular, will reassert its Constitutional obligations, particularly where going to war is concerned; recognize bipartisan cooperation can accomplish more than the narrow-minded demagoguery emanating from the White House; demand more openness, honesty and accountability from the president; and reject any and all authoritarian actions of Donald Trump, specifically including any attempts to interfere with or curtail the legitimate, wide-ranging investigations into Russian meddling in US elections.
