Posted on 01/18/2016 7:12:48 PM PST by Isara
Some conservatives are concerned over Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump's vow to take the same path of bypassing Congress as President Barack Obama - even though the billionaire said his actions would be "much better" than Obama's and done for "the right things."
"Does Mr. Trump enjoy power? Is he more likely to prefer limited and constitutional or unlimited and unconstitutional power? Where is he likely to fall on that scale? I tend to think it's with the maximum possible exercise of power," Colin Hanna, president of the conservative public policy group Let Freedom Ring USA, told TheBlaze.
Trump, as president, might well use the executive powers to advance conservative causes, Hanna added, but he said there is more at stake.
"Every conservative at heart is a constitutionalist. The values are intertwined and inseparable for separation of powers and a limited federal government," Hanna said. "He might use executive power on issues we agree with. The point is, it isn't about the individual issues. It's a deeper and fundamental question."
President Barack Obama has used executive action most recently to restrict gun sales. Before that, he shielded about 5 million illegal immigrants from deportation and to delayed implementation of some of the most unpopular aspects of his own health care law. After last week's State of the Union address, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough promised "audacious executive action" in the president's final 11 months.
During an interview with NBC News, Trump was asked if he would use executive actions in a similar fashion to the way President Barack Obama has.
"I won't refuse it. I'm going to do a lot of things. He led the way," Trump said. He added, "But I'm going to use them much better and they're going to serve a much better purpose than he's done."
In a separate interview with CBS News, Trump said of executive action, "Well, I will say this: There's a lot of precedent based on what he's doing."
"Conservatives have been angered at the Obama pen-and-phone approach to bypassing Congress; they should be equally disturbed at Trump for viewing Obama's unconstitutional power grabs as a model that he would follow," David McIntosh, the president of Club for Growth McIntosh, told TheBlaze.
Trump has soared in GOP primary polls despite his previous support for funding Planned Parenthood and abortion rights, favoring a single-payer health care system and for expanding the powers of government to seize private property among other liberal positions. This has come at the angst of many in the conservative movement.
"Donald Trump has already made it clear that he's like Obama in supporting single-payer health care, bailouts, and higher taxes," McIntosh said. "So, it's no surprise that Trump also wants to trash the Constitution by abusing executive power."
As a candidate for president, Trump has taken a conservative stance on illegal immigration and advocated cutting taxes, while he has considerably softened on his other liberal positions.
"He's aggressive not necessarily progressive," Hanna said. "His political philosophy is an appreciation of his own brilliance and that he can solve problems better than anyone else. He is not guided by a set of principles or a philosophy."
The Trump campaign did not respond to inquiries for this story last week or on Monday.
Former Bush administration Justice Department attorney John Yoo, now a law professor at University of California at Berkeley, warned in a Washington Post commentary that executive actions were intended for foreign policy, national security and emergencies - not domestic policy making.
He wrote that Obama's actions would encourage his success to move similarly. At least, Yoo wrote, that makes more of Obama's agenda reversible.
"Obama's upending of the Constitution's structure and limits may prove its own undoing," Yoo wrote. "The next chief executive can suspend, and then repeal, all of the executive orders and regulations of the past seven years. He or she could terminate the Iran nuclear deal and the climate change pact; reinstate enforcement of the immigration laws; and fully reveal Obamacare's distortions of health care. The further Obama stretches his powers to reach for a legacy, the more powerfully his successor can snap the Constitution back into its proper shape."
Yes, that sums it up.
No brains, knee jerk voters with no core principles, giving rise to a blowhard populist that has not stayed with any single train of thought in all of his 69 years. Voting for a bully, so he will be “their bully” - only to discover the bully has no loyalty to anyone but his narcissistic self.
That sounds a lot like Europe in the 1930s, or Latin America in the 1970s.
And Obama was elected by idiots who wanted everything free!
Trump has clearly stated that if he is president America will be BACK “IN” THE CONSTITUTION!
Agree
“I’m Gonna Dictate America Better and GET THINGS DONE!!”- Donald J.Trump, Emporer at Large.
I watch all of his rallies, I listen to everything he says, and he is saying it all from the heart...
This man has the American Dream, he built it and now he wants us to have that piece of pie along with him, no we won't be billionaires like he is, but you know what, maybe I won't have to work so hard to make ends meet like I and the whole of America is having to do....maybe there will be a few pennies left over every month to go have a banana split or a movie...
Trump and his family are the perfect examples we need to live by, his children are all successful business people in their own rights, and his youngest daughter Tiffany is going into law school because her Aunt is a Judge...the class that this family will bring to America and the world is awesome...just to be proud again of who we are, can't you just imagine....
For all those Trump supporters out there, like what we are doing 100% and never look back, and lets work harder than ever before to help Trump Make America Great Again!!!
And if he has to trash the Constitution to do it, his supporters will roar with approval.
Do you teach students?
These cruzholes think its some badge of honor to be the only party who should be abiding by the constitution. Hello, won’t work. Things are going to have to get worse before they start getting better.
How are we suppose to right the ship if we’re the only ones following the rules? Enlighten me oh cruzbots.
Oooooh do you think we’ll get right wing death squads out if it? I hadn’t even considered that. Great idea!
The Donald (peace be upon him) knows you too have been singing his praise and worship. He shines upon you, and you can expect a nice thing in your stocking. But don’t tell anyone, his holiness likes to keep his presence more ethereal.
Thanks!! AMEN
I do teach. I am an airline captain, training check airman, and FAA examiner. I’m also a Bible teacher. Mostly though, I helped my wife homeschool our kids for the past 26 years.
Are you serious with this post? Please tell me you’re not.
Thanks.
The one thing Trump isn’t, is a Commie.
Perhaps we should just scrap The Constitution entirely. That way we can get done the things we want done. Whadya say?
He’s going to get rid of Obama’s executive orders — the n govern by executive order himself.
He’s going to send illegals home — then let them back in (touchback).
This is just as bad when Trump or someone else we like does it as it is when Obama does it.
Ah, the quintessential argument for extra constitutional powers with the obligatory derision of those who value the rule of law thrown in for good measure.
It's a sad day when people who claim to be conservatives embrace ends justify the means rationalizations of the Democrats and Progressives. They've embraced that which they should know to revile
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.