Trump and His Sharpie vs The Constitution

Remember ‘Sharpie-Gate’? When Trump was embarrassed about an official NOAA weather map showing he was wrong about a hurricane’s projected path? Trumpty took out his trusty Sharpie and with a little help from a Fanboy who was a climate scientist with NOAA but believed in Trump more than science drew a loop to include Alabama in the projected path of that hurricane. THAT guy is now Trump’s NOAA Director. I mention this because Trump is our “Mad King.’ He decides something, and pulls out his Sharpie to make it ‘Official’ whether it be some Executive Order or redrawing maps. He also, even before the SCOTUS immunity ruling believed that President’s have unlimited power. Now he’s President again and I have to wonder, at what point does Trump take his Sharpie to the Constitution?

I know. It sounds crazy but this is Trump we’re talking about. In his mind everything he’s ever done right down to the poopies in his diapers (not just now but starting out as an infant) is PERFECT. As far as he’s concerned, and tens of millions of MAGAs he’s the pinnacle of human evolution. Okay, so many of them don’t believe in evolution. Instead they believe he’s god’s miracle, or in some cases god’s replacement. Well, what matters is that Trump truly believes he holds ultimate power. What he thinks and says goes. Period. End of discussion. Worse, he is determined to make sure it’s no longer allowed to question that, or him.

This ‘President as king’ notion didn’t come from nowhere. Conservatives in my lifetime have long pushed for what’s called the “Unitary Executive”, at least if a Republican has been in the White House. Billirubin Barr did much to advance this (along with his Federalist Society pals) three decades ago in his first sting as Attorney General working for the first President Bush. He ass-kissed Trump well enough for a second stint in the job and furiously worked towards that end again and clearly Trump absorbed Barr’s concept.  It’s not like Trump hadn’t had delusions of grandeur his entire adult life regardless of what his career failures should have taught him.

But now he’s back. Not just back but (no) thanks to SCOTUS with breathtaking power including to break any damned law he wants as long as it’s declared an “Official Act.” As I read and listened to the hypotheticals presented to SCOTUS I simply couldn’t believe even Federalist Society groomed Justices would shrug all that off and say in effect ‘Well, yes a President can do that.’ Of course they’d have been HORRIFIED if it was a Democrat wanting to have that kind of power.   Then again they knew Democrats would never allow such a person to rise in the Party in the first place. But they knew, literally had proof conservatives would allow such a person to rule the GOP.  AND that Trump had a legitimate shot at getting back into the White House.

So now he’s there and drunk on power doesn’t begin to describe Trump.  He has been handed such massive power thanks to SCOTUS and the fear he’s instilled in Republicans, business leaders and News outlets there is no check on him. You might not recall him talking what sounded like nonsense about his “Article 2 powers” last time around. He imagined and spoke of powers the Constitution doesn’t grant. And that Presidents were intended to be all powerful according to our founders. In actuality the founders created separation of powers for a reason – they FEARED too much power behind held in one man’s hands.

To prevent that they created a cumbersome system, but it also must be noted they intended to dilute power even more by vesting most of the government’s power in the Congress which would be made up of a GROUP of people!  It was a group, the Congress that was given the power to make laws, and override a President’s veto if they felt doing so was warranted. The “power of the purse” was vested in Congress. When it came to appointments of senior officials or to make treaties the Congress (Senate) was given the power of advice and CONSENT.  Hell, even the Electoral College was about more than helping preserve slavery. With a population that was mostly illiterate the founders FEARED some charlatan who could capture the imagination of the people, and/or be beholden to a foreign power to attain power.  That’s why there was no direct election of a President. The Electors were counted on to step in if the wrong kind of person emerged from any voting in the various states. And someone like Trump was EXACTLY what they feared. Anyway, all my life I’ve seen warnings about us gradually moving to grant too much power to the Executive Branch, and being of an age where Civics Education was required I took notice.

Now, unless Congress or more specifically Republicans in Congress grow some spine and fast the ONLY part of our Constitution that will be left is Article 2. I have no trouble imagining Trump making a show of heading to the National Archives, having his goons smash the glass cases holding the four parchments on which our Constitution is written and taking out his Sharpie. And drawing a big X through every article but Article 2. But he wouldn’t stop at that. No way. I can see him scribbling that he, Donald Trump had sole authority now, and scribbling his name.

That’s how Trump sees things. The Constitution is what HE says it is and HE says it means HE has ultimate power and authority. That he can do whatever the hell he wants including lock up critics or have protesters shot dead in the streets.  If other countries, long-time and staunch allies refuse to bend to his will, he will use our military to bomb the hell out of them and take them over.  As for Congress and any power they think they have as far as Trump is concerned they have NONE. Nor does SCOTUS to overrule him.  After pardoning the insurrectionists, many of whom say they’d do it again does anyone doubt he’d “suggest” they go after Congress Critters or Justices that defy him? I sure as hell don’t.

In Trump’s mind he’s already taken out his Sharpie and ‘revised’ our Constitution. It’s not like Republicans on the Hill would have the guts to stop him via the impeachment process. Is it so crazy he’ll get a wild hair up his fat orange butt and decide to take his Sharpie to the Constitution for real? Just to show he can?  Early into his second term Trump is effectively nullifying all but Article 2 and rewriting even that into more or less “Whatever I say goes” so don’t think for a second the fantasy of making a big show at the National Archives hasn’t popped into his head.

********** And now, a message from Ursula I hope you take to heart **********

Friends, I am forced to self-promote and ask you for money. We had a bad year compared with 2023 and the end of the year has been catastrophic. Traffic died on November 5. We are a small blog and completely self-supporting by ad revenue, donations, and subscriptions. If you can afford a monthly subscription that would help us out. If you can make a small donation, likewise. Our only goal is to stay in business and give you the best content we can generate. You are the wind beneath our wings. Thank you. Ursula

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