Trump: ‘I Have the Absolute Right’ to Order Companies Not to Do Business with China

Breitbart ^ | 08-23-19 | Ian Hanchett

[Monrose72]

While speaking to reporters on Friday, President Trump stated that he has “the absolute right” to order American businesses not to do business with China. Trump said, “Well, in 1977, we had an act passed, a national emergency act. I have the absolute right to do that. We’ll see how that goes, but I have the absolute right.”

[JonPreston]

That is funny :):):)

[Mr Rogers]

“AOC is that you?”

Stupidity does not become you. AOC and all the Democrats would LOVE to be able to tell businesses to pull out of Hungary because Hungary oppresses immigrants, or to pull out of Indonesia because Indonesia oppresses homosexuals, or country X because X is creating an emergency by doing Y.

How would President Bernie Sanders use that power?

Heck, they could declare Alabama & Georgia are creating an emergency by opposing abortion, and order companies to pull out of those states!

Ask yourself this: “What would Butty Guy do with this power as President?” And then remember we limit the power of government to protect us when bad people get in power - as they will do eventually. I trust Trump. But trust Butty Guy?

[Leaning Right]

> You’re forgetting we live in a different age here, while (more than) half of those corrupt vermin in Congress don’t have the IQ to tell their asses from their elbows <

Perhaps an historian here will correct me, but I suspect that has always been the case. Yes, some Congressmen in the past were true statesmen. But many more of them were corrupt beyond belief.

Nevertheless, the Founders set up Congress to be a check on the president. That was a wise move.

Side point: Perhaps the Founders should have set up Congress more like the British Parliament. There seems to be a bit less corruption and idiocy over there (no Maxine Waters).

[Greenpees]

That is really clever.. I like it.

[JonPreston]

China is our enemy and any “American” company doing business with them, when it’s demonstrably bad for our citizens, isn’t really an American company, but I realize globalists feel differently. See Tom Donahue & the swine at the National Review.

[DownInFlames]

Not according to Article II. Me thinks his head is too big.

[Rusty0604]

It doesn’t seem like he got his way with much after declaring an emergency on the border.

[RightGeek]

From InstaPundit

SO A LOT OF PEOPLE ON FACEBOOK ARE SAYING THAT OF COURSE PRESIDENT TRUMP CAN’T “ORDER” A PRIVATE BUSINESS TO GET OUT OF CHINA. In fact, he almost certainly can do just that, so long as he makes the right declaration. Under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, better known in the trade as IEEPA, presidents have a virtual blank check on regulating economic transactions with other countries, so long as they declare a national emergency — which can include one based on economic threats.

I’m not saying this is a good idea, but the people saying that “Trump’s an idiot, presidents can’t do that” are displaying their ignorance. Presidents absolutely can do that. Note that at present Trump is spreading fear, uncertainty, and doubt, by tweeting the order but NOT making the declaration that would be required to give it effect. It’s thus a shot across the bow — a metaphor that fits this quite well, really.

See also this earlier post, discussing an Obama action, and U.S. v. Spawr Optical, a disturbing but unexceptional example of judicially endorsed presidential power over international trade.

  Posted at 9:37 pm by Glenn Reynolds

[HotHunt]

President Trump will win in 2020 despite your assurance that he will lose your vote because of this issue.

So maybe you should vote for another candidate who's performed better than Trump. I don't see any out there from either party but maybe you do.

I don't look for perfection in President Trump. I look for exceptionalism. He is one of a kind in my book.

[precisionshootist]

"well, he isn’t a dictator, and yes, apparently he does have the absolute right, just like he said, so there you go."

It won't matter. If he does something with China under the guise of this act the left will just take it to one of the many judges that will immediately stop it and the Trump Administration will go along with the court ruling instead of ignoring the ruling. This has happened time and time again with immigration and that's the main reason we have gotten exactly nowhere on closing the border. We are letting judges run this nation. This has been President Trumps biggest mistake. He should have ignored the very first "travel ban" ruling that allowed people from terrorist nations to enter the country. The courts have ZERO authority in the matter yet the administration let the courts usurp this power. It's been nothing but wash rinse, repeat ever since.

[Pravious]

Note that at present Trump is spreading fear, uncertainty, and doubt, by tweeting the order but NOT making the declaration that would be required to give it effect. It’s thus a shot across the bow — a metaphor that fits this quite well, really.

—

I’ve learned that whenever President Trump tweets something that surprises even me that it’s always just a chess move directed at someone who’s NOT me.

In this case, it makes the Chinese wonder if he could possibly be bold enough to carry out this threat, it keeps the left riled up and - who knows, it might actually make some companies re-think their Anti-American ways and bring their business home.

I don’t see a downside anywhere.

[foreverfree]

bump

[dp0622]

Ah, I don’t know if it’s concern trolling.

A lot of FReepers on the thread agree with him/her.

Me, I’m not smart enough to know to what extent it is right or wrong or if there is a somewhere in between.

It is a point that Harris could say it’s a federal emergency and disallow doing business with countries that sell guns.

Or some such scenario.

I’m not saying Trump is right or wrong.

I would have to do a ton of reading to decide.

And that’s not happening lol

Tariffs for now are causing China tremendous grief.

But if Trump feels more is needed, then it wont really matter what we think is right or wrong, he will do it.

And i’ll still vote for him

[Political Junkie Too]

Here is an interesting article by Thomas Lifson on whether the President has the authority to "order" companies.

It's worth clicking through to the full American Thinker article.

-PJ

[Alberta's Child]

It’s hard to believe Trump has been in the national spotlight for four years ... and a lot of people here still haven’t figured out that most of the things he says are nothing more than a distraction that he has no intention of pursuing.

[grumpygresh]

The fact that he is trying to stop fentanyl coming in from China, while a positive action worthy of support , is also a tactic admission of a policy failure by doj policy that continues to blame opioid overdose deaths on prescription opioids.

[chris37]

“So...if a country acts in a way we dislike, President Kamala Harris could order all businesses to pull out of that country?”

Apparently so.

“Could she also tell companies they cannot make guns because “Guns are a national emergency”?”

I doubt it, because 2nd Amendment, but I bet you she would try it.

“If South Korea does something she doesn’t like, could she ban imports and require businesses to pull out of South Korea?”

I’d have to say yes to this question.

[chris37]

Yes, that’s true, but ignoring court orders may be treacherous ground that he doesn’t want to walk on at this time.

[Mr Rogers]

““If South Korea does something she doesn’t like, could she ban imports and require businesses to pull out of South Korea?”

I’d have to say yes to this question.”

I’d say no. Nothing Constitutional about it. What can be done in conjunction with Congress is very different from what a President can do on the pretext of “national emergency”. And I wouldn’t count on the courts stopping Harris from confiscating “assault weapons” in response to a “national emergency” if a President can declare one any time he or she wants.

[chris37]

Whatever the case, that law says she can. Someone would have to sue to stop her.

“And I wouldn’t count on the courts stopping Harris from confiscating “assault weapons” in response to a “national emergency” if a President can declare one any time he or she wants.”

Neither would I. But it would be stopped nonetheless.