Apparently, a lot of Republicans only hate executive orders when President Obama signs them.
Last week, Donald Trump announced he would sign an executive order mandating the death penalty for “cop-killers.”
“One of the first things I do, in terms of executive order if I win, will be to sign a strong, strong statement that will go out to the country — out to the world — that anybody killing a policeman, policewoman, a police officer — anybody killing a police officer, the death penalty. It’s going to happen, OK?”
The GOP presidential front-runner made the remarks after accepting the endorsement of the New England Police Benevolent Association. It didn’t take long before I started seeing GOP faithful praising the Donald for his foresight on social media – the same people complaining about Obama’s unconstitutional executive orders.
I guess it’s OK if their guy does it!
The federal government has no constitutional authority to mandate sentences for state crimes, including murdering state or local police officers. State police powers and criminal codes remain one of the few areas unambiguously left to state governments, even under the bastardized constitutional system we live under today. And even if the federal government had the constitutional authority to mandate sentencing for state crimes, (and I can’t emphasize enough that it doesn’t) the president certainly lacks any authority to arbitrarily mandate criminal penalties by executive fiat. Even when it comes to federal crimes, Congress sets sentences, not the president.
In a world of constitutional ignorance, Trump’s comments go right over the top – right along with surveillance of Muslims. He either doesn’t know the president can do no such thing – or more likely – he doesn’t care.
And neither do his supporters. Despite making all kinds of constitutionally dubious comments, Trump continues to lead the GOP race. Republicans scream bloody murder over every Obama executive order, but boy-oh-boy, when Trump starts waving his presidential pen that will be just great! Because he’s gonna get things done!!
Trump is nothing but Obama 2.0, only talking about doing things a lot of Republicans happen to like.
