Trump declares himself a dictator

[SFVikeFan]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-04-13/trump-declares-he-has-power-to-open-up-states-not-governors
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President Donald Trump declared he has “total” authority to order states to relax social distancing to combat the coronavirus outbreak and reopen their economies, and warned that governors who refuse would face political consequences.
Asked what provision gives the president the power to open or close state economies, Trump said: “Numerous provisions. We’ll give you a legal brief if you want.”
“The authority of the president of the United Stateshaving to do with the subject we’re talking about is total,” Trump said at a White House news conference on Monday. “I have the ultimate authority”.


Challenged to substantiate his claim, the president said that “numerous provisions” support him and offered reporters a legal brief, though he provided no specifics.

Donald J. Trump

✔@realDonaldTrump

For the purpose of creating conflict and confusion, some in the Fake News Media are saying that it is the Governors decision to open up the states, not that of the President of the United States & the Federal Government. Let it be fully understood that this is incorrect..
"The president of the United States has the authority to do what the president has the authority to do, which is very powerful," Trump said at a White House briefing on Monday. "The president of the United States calls the shots."




WTF is that gibberish word salad supposed to mean??  ”The authority to do what he has the authority to do, which is very powerful”??   This fucking idiot can’t even speak 4th grade English!


Can you imagine the outrage on the right if a Democratic POTUS declared himself King/Dictator?  Go ahead Republicans, defend this piece of shit who decided our Constitution and system of checks and balances shouldn’t apply to the Orange Messiah ...

[Guest]

Could you imagine reading and posting about the Packers every day?

[Guest]

Here's the transcript.

QUESTION: Just to clarify your understanding of your authority vis-a-vis governors, just to be very specific, for instance, if a governor issued a stay at home order--

TRUMP: --When you say my authority, the president's authority, not mine, because it's not me.

QUESTION: Sorry, just a question.

TRUMP: This is--when somebody's--

QUESTION: --Your authority--

TRUMP: --The president of the United States, the authority is total. And that's the way it's got to be.

QUESTION: Total? Your authority is total?

TRUMP: It's total. It's total.

QUESTION: Your authority is total?

TRUMP: And the governors know that.

QUESTION: So, if a--if a governor--

TRUMP: --The governors know that.

QUESTION: If a governor issued--

TRUMP: --No, you have a couple of bans of--

QUESTION: --A stay at home order--

TRUMP: --Excuse me. Excuse me. You have a--

QUESTION: --Could you rescind that? Could you rescind that order?

TRUMP: You have a couple of bans of--of Democrat governors, but they will agree to it. They will agree to it.

QUESTION: When would you call on a governor?

TRUMP: But the authority of the president of the United States having to do with the subject we're talking about is total.

[Guest]

I think it's important to differentiate that between "dictator" in a traditional sense and what Trump actually said which was limited to "the subject we're talking about" which is the Covid-19 emergency.

[Guest]

If there's a talented illustrator in his administration, maybe someone could do a pop-up book explaining the constitution to him. Start with the 10th and 25th amendments.

[Guest]

@medaille said:
I think it's important to differentiate that between "dictator" in a traditional sense and what Trump actually said which was limited to "the subject we're talking about" which is the Covid-19 emergency.

Just depends on what the definition of "is" is. 

[Guest]

@MaroonBells said:

@medaille said:
I think it's important to differentiate that between "dictator" in a traditional sense and what Trump actually said which was limited to "the subject we're talking about" which is the Covid-19 emergency.

Just depends on what the definition of "is" is. 

Beat me to it.

[Guest]

Listening to today's briefing, I'm not sure that a pop-up book is in his intellectual wheelhouse. 

Maybe a puppet show?

[Guest]

I am just grateful that we have to have another person decipher his gibberish to explain to us what he really meant ...

Maybe some of you missed out on current events in the last 3 years, but this isn’t the first time Trump has given the middle finger to oversight or checks and balances on his powers.  But hey I’m glad you can minimize the significance of an utter moron playing President who doesn’t understand our Constitution, and is ruling the country like a dictator in a 3rd world banana republic.


What fucking difference is it whether the subject is COVID-19, foreign policy or any other subject?  He said it, he has absolute power, final say over states rights.  


Fucking Christ ... I will never understand what is so hard about just saying “That’s fucked up and crossing a line of our democracy that no POTUS should even suggest crossing” rather than some sad excuse that he only meant it about the topic of the virus?  That makes it better somehow??   Why do you guys always have to mansplain “Well what Trump meant was ....”

It’s on Twitter.  It’s on multiple interviews.  There’s no sugar coating it.  


He is a fucking disgraceful piece of shit and how decent people excuse his assholeness again and again and again and blame the media for reporting his assholeness is a case study mental health people will study for centuries.

[Guest]

I am sure in some folks mind this all started with Benghazi and a fake birth certificate.  (A1 that's sarcasm, saved you a half hour of research)