Angus King

I think it's the most direct assault on the Constitution in the history of this country. I think we're in grave danger. And the problem is those who are cheering on this president because they like what he's doing, but they're ignoring the way he's doing it, can themselves later become the target. I said the other day, you know, you feel pretty good until the eye of Sauron turns on you.

And that's the danger. The president once said, I think it was in his first term, I have the powerful Article II, you know, which is the part of the Constitution that defines the presidency. By the way, Article I is the Congress, the legislative power. Article II is the presidency.

And that's the danger. The president once said, I think it was in his first term, I have the powerful Article II, you know, which is the part of the Constitution that defines the presidency. By the way, Article I is the Congress, the legislative power. Article II is the presidency.

And that's the danger. The president once said, I think it was in his first term, I have the powerful Article II, you know, which is the part of the Constitution that defines the presidency. By the way, Article I is the Congress, the legislative power. Article II is the presidency.

I went back and reread article two the other day. Oh yeah, what's in it? It gives the president practically no power. He only has one and a half unilateral powers. The one is pardoned. That's a unilateral power. He can do it. No checks, no balances, nothing. He can do it. I grant you that. It also says he's the commander in chief for the armed forces in times of war.

I went back and reread article two the other day. Oh yeah, what's in it? It gives the president practically no power. He only has one and a half unilateral powers. The one is pardoned. That's a unilateral power. He can do it. No checks, no balances, nothing. He can do it. I grant you that. It also says he's the commander in chief for the armed forces in times of war.

I went back and reread article two the other day. Oh yeah, what's in it? It gives the president practically no power. He only has one and a half unilateral powers. The one is pardoned. That's a unilateral power. He can do it. No checks, no balances, nothing. He can do it. I grant you that. It also says he's the commander in chief for the armed forces in times of war.

But even that power is circumscribed by the Constitution giving the power to declare war to the Congress. And if you go back to the debates at the convention in 1787, August 23rd, they debated the war power. And some people said, well, a committee like Congress can't run a war. And others said, yeah, but look what these princes in Europe do, dragging their countries into war for foolish reasons.

But even that power is circumscribed by the Constitution giving the power to declare war to the Congress. And if you go back to the debates at the convention in 1787, August 23rd, they debated the war power. And some people said, well, a committee like Congress can't run a war. And others said, yeah, but look what these princes in Europe do, dragging their countries into war for foolish reasons.

But even that power is circumscribed by the Constitution giving the power to declare war to the Congress. And if you go back to the debates at the convention in 1787, August 23rd, they debated the war power. And some people said, well, a committee like Congress can't run a war. And others said, yeah, but look what these princes in Europe do, dragging their countries into war for foolish reasons.

And the compromise was to split it. Congress has the power to declare war. The president is the commander in chief. After that, here's what it says about the president's job. I'm going to give you an exact quote. The president's responsibility is to, quote, take care that the laws be faithfully executed. That's the exact language. Take care that the laws be faithfully executed.

And the compromise was to split it. Congress has the power to declare war. The president is the commander in chief. After that, here's what it says about the president's job. I'm going to give you an exact quote. The president's responsibility is to, quote, take care that the laws be faithfully executed. That's the exact language. Take care that the laws be faithfully executed.

And the compromise was to split it. Congress has the power to declare war. The president is the commander in chief. After that, here's what it says about the president's job. I'm going to give you an exact quote. The president's responsibility is to, quote, take care that the laws be faithfully executed. That's the exact language. Take care that the laws be faithfully executed.

It doesn't give him the power to decide which laws he likes or to make his own law. A perfect example is the tariffs.

It doesn't give him the power to decide which laws he likes or to make his own law. A perfect example is the tariffs.

It doesn't give him the power to decide which laws he likes or to make his own law. A perfect example is the tariffs.

The Constitution in Article I, Section 8 expressly delegates to Congress the power to regulate trade among nations. That's the term, regulate trade among nations. So they delegated that to the president years ago with a caveat that it could only be used unilaterally by the president in an emergency.

The Constitution in Article I, Section 8 expressly delegates to Congress the power to regulate trade among nations. That's the term, regulate trade among nations. So they delegated that to the president years ago with a caveat that it could only be used unilaterally by the president in an emergency.

The Constitution in Article I, Section 8 expressly delegates to Congress the power to regulate trade among nations. That's the term, regulate trade among nations. So they delegated that to the president years ago with a caveat that it could only be used unilaterally by the president in an emergency.

And the thinking was, you know, in a time of war when there was really some crisis that you had to resolve, I hate to tell you, man, there's no emergency with Canada. There's no emergency with Denmark or South Korea or Japan or our allies. Now, maybe you can argue that we have a serious situation. maybe an emergency with China, given the difficulties of that piece of trade.