Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution requires the President to “take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.” This clause, known as the Take Care Clause, requires the President to enforce all constitutionally valid Acts of Congress, regardless of his own Administration's view of their wisdom or policy.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Trump said that complying with congressional requests was unnecessary after the White House cooperated with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s probe of Russian interference and the president’s own conduct in office. “There is no reason to go any further, and especially in Congress where it’s very partisan — obviously very partisan,” Trump said.
On Tuesday, two White House officials said the administration plans to fight a subpoena issued by the House Judiciary Committee for former White House counsel Donald McGahn by asserting executive privilege over his testimony.
Separately, the administration directed a former White House official not to comply with a subpoena from the House Oversight Committee, prompting the panel to move to hold him in contempt of Congress. And the Treasury Department defied a second demand from House Democrats to turn over six years of President Trump’s tax returns.
In his interview with The Post, Trump maintained that the White House Counsel’s Office has not “made a final, final decision” about whether it will formally assert executive privilege and try to block congressional testimony. But he said he opposes cooperation with House Democrats, who he claimed are trying to score political points against him.“I don’t want people testifying to a party, because that is what they’re doing if they do this,” Trump said.
The president said Democrats should be satisfied with what McGahn and other officials told Mueller, calling his decision to allow them to meet with federal investigators an act of transparency that made further congressional cooperation unreasonable.
“I allowed my lawyers and all the people to go and testify to Mueller — and you know how I feel about that whole group of people that did the Mueller report,” Trump said. “I was so transparent; they testified for so many hours. They have all of that information that’s been given.”
“I fully understood that at the beginning. I had my choice,” Trump added of his decision to allow his aides to testify as part of Mueller’s probe. “I could have taken the absolute opposite route.”
33 comments:
That violation alone is sufficient to impeach Donald!
I love that Pres Trump says he will go to SCOTUS to fight impeachment. Maybe he should read a book or visit the Nixon Library to see how that approach worked out.
I'm not kidding... Tuesday I heard a Trump apologist on one of the news shows using HR Haldeman's words about evading Congressional Summons' as justification and a plan they hope to use. Really? Are these folks even aware Nixon resigned because the actions he took were obstructive and were leading to his impeachment?
I've not seen anything like this in almost 50 years.
Jerry and Dave
I think we should let Donald be Donald. Or as James Carvill once advised, "When you see your enemy drowning, throw him a g-d anvil."
Let Donald continue to break the laws of this country, and let the co-equal branch of the U.S. government do its proper job.
What the republicans have going for them is the democrats. With the selection of democratic candidates where nancy botox is considered a moderate it just strengthens the republican party.
There was no way I was ever going to vote for trump but given the choice between a full fledged narcissistic liar and a bunch of socialist wackos I may have to change my mind.
Guess the left hasn't figured out that the trump agenda is to be the headliner every day and his actions are never unplanned. His methods may be suspect but his desire for the the country prospering continues. His message is America First where the democrat message is get trump.
Now we have uncle joe saying he wants to rebuild the middle class. He was part of the administration that tore it apart so he should have a good idea of how to rebuild it.
“...and let the co-equal branch of the U.S. government do its proper job.”
So far, doing their proper job is something they have yet to start!
The co-equal branch of government is not doing its job. The new House has been in office for almost 5 months now, what have they done?
Everyone waited 2 years for the Mueller report like it was going to be the magic wand to make Trump disappear and it amounted to nothing.
So we are all watching Trump destroy our institutions of government and any respect we had around the world.
Just let him hang himself? By that time the damage he will do might not be repairable.
McConnell and the Senate Republicans are just as guilty and they have been busy stuffing our federal courts with people as bad as Trump. That will take decades to repair.
I blame the Democrats for letting a crook like Trump beat them at the polls and gullible American voters for electing him to office. Democrats lost to the biggest slim ball to ever become president. And he may well beat the Democrats again in 2020.
Only the House can bring criminal charges against the president. What are they waiting for? We don't need the Mueller report for evidence that Trump has committed crimes.
Every patriotic American should want to get Trump OUT!
Skud I'm surprised that you believe a man who continues to break the law of the land in order to keep his ass from being impeached has the good of the country in mind.
Helping America? Really? Do you filter out all the bad he's done. Have you let any of the news about the deficit trickle into your brain:
Trump Administration Runs Biggest Monthly Deficit in History in February
Imagine if THAT had happened under President Obama! You'd be on it like a dog on a bone.
You don't think Trump's lowered America's reputation and standing in the world? He has. Do you care?
Are his moral failings, lies, bullying, lies, racism, lies, greed, lies okay with you?
Here's a test: If you have daughters or granddaughters, nieces? Would you want them to have Donald Trump as their husband? Does a man's moral character and his inability to tell the truth matter to you?
To any Republican?
It appears it doesn't. You've all sold yourselves to the Devil for policy gains. That will follow the GOP for generations to come.
I feel some pity for you all. But not too much.
Actually, Jerry, the Mueller Report lays out the evidence for the crimes Trump committed. The House is trying to subpoena Trump aides to testify more fully publicly about what is in the report. Mueller himself will do that soon. And I hope McGahn will as well.
The Mueller Report clearly shows that Trump tried to obstruct justice. It's up to the House to take it from there.
Here's the proverbial rub Shaw...
Most Republicans in office are repulsed by Trump. But, and this is huge, their agenda is moving forward as never before under his leadership. The judges he is appointing will fundamentally alter our country and the political landscape. Let's not be deluded, this is the GOP agenda. And under Trump, it is happening.
None of Trump's major judicial nominees will comment on whether Brown v Topeka was rightly decided. How is that possible, apart from them not wanting to say "NO" publicly. The major anti discrimination case in the US in the last 100 years and his nominees are unwilling to publicly affirm the decision. When you add this to stuff like rolling back abortion rights, rolling back voting rights, [even ones voters approved, like in Florida] and extremely punitive immigration policies, you see where the GOP is at.
They themselves may loath Trump, as Skud says he does. But they won't slam him because they're getting the results they want.
It's a craven surrender to power from a group that once claimed to represent the "moral majority" of America and what a "great majority" of Americans wanted. Well... that's just not true. A majority of Americans of all stripes oppose those principles and policy positions. But they don't care.
Here's a test: If you have daughters or granddaughters, nieces? Would you want them to have Bill Clinton, or Joe Biden, or Corry Booker, or any other of those Perverts as their husband? Does a man's moral character and his inability to tell the truth matter to you?
You’re right Shaw, and they need to quit pussyfooting around and do it aggressively!
To Fred Lansky,
The question was for skudrunner and his inability to see Trump for the immoral pig that he is. None of the men you mentioned has 20+ women accusing them of sexual assault or harrassment. None of those men, as far as I know, cheated on all three wives with porn stars and playmates and cheated on his mistresses as well. None of those men are recorded bragging about grabbing women by their genitals because they're stars. I don't excuse Clinton for his terrible behavior. I know nothing about Corey Booker's. And Joe Biden is NOT a sexual assaulter. And you know that.
Nothing compares with the liar, cheat, and fraud that is the man you admire, DJT.
My my Mrs.Shaw, that immoral pig just posted a 3.2% GDP for the first quarter, beating all estimates.
Remember when Obama said a 1% GDP was the new normal?
The GDP doesn't change the fact that Trump is an immoral pig, a liar, a cheat, and a fraud and that he has 38% approval of the American people.
If he's so great, why did his approval rate drop?
You and the rest of what's left of the GOP apparently don't care what kind of a tramp leads America and your party so long as the GDP is good? Interesting values you have there.
And President Trump was/ is a Sexual assaulter either!
And YOU. Know That!
Alva Johnson, Former Trump Campaign Staffer, Accuses President of Sexual Assault
At least 22 women have publicly accused President Trump of sexual misconduct since the October 2016 release of a 2005 Access Hollywood tape where Trump is heard bragging about grabbing women’s genitals and kissing them without consent.
Trump: "I better use some Tic Tacs just in case I start kissing her. You know, I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything."
Your morally disgusting "president" admitted that he loves to sexually assault women. It's on tape.
You can't handle the awful truth of what you support.
And the problem with that is exactly what?
You forgot this, Shaw.
Well Ms.Shaw, history shows in general elections Americans vote with their wallets. So if the economy continues to fly high all the huffing and puffing about Trumps morality or lack of it will be of no consequence.
Anonymous @4:49 PM, Not all Americans have such inferior, third-rate, trashy values as you. Most Americans care about honesty, morality, and goodness. That you don't and are proud of it so long as you get yours is not surprising. You support an immoral pig.
PS. One other thing, Anon @4:49PM, America has NEVER had a president like Trump: a liar, a cheat, and a fraud.
Now Ms.Shaw, why would you result to denigrating my personal values when all I pointed out were historical facts that in presidential elections Americans vote with their pocketbooks first. Many,many Americans aren't as troubled over Trumps morality as you are.
Ms. Shaw, I will grant you that trump is a moral pig but some of us have bills to pay and therefore his actions on behalf of the American Taxpayer puts him far above the attacks we suffered under the previous administration.
Neither of them have a clue what the middle class is but at least trump doesn't attack it and only govern for special interests and multi millionaires. He goes to rally's of middle class people, the previous president went to fund raising dinners with millionaires who will pay $10k a plate to support him.
It was a tough eight years for the middle class and especially those who had small businesses. Colonists living in mansions live in an ideological world, the rest have families to support and bills to pay so 3% GDP is good news not bad.
Anonymous April 26, 2019 at 4:42 PM said...
And the problem with that is exactly what?
I'm assuming you mean what's the problem with sexually assaulting women?
Why don't you ask your mother, sister, wife, daughter, niece or any woman in your life.
"Anonymous said...
Now Ms.Shaw, why would you result to denigrating my personal values when all I pointed out were historical facts that in presidential elections Americans vote with their pocketbooks first."
There's always a first time, eh? Historical fact: America has never had a disgustingly awful president like Trump. His job approval, Americans' pocketbooks notwithstanding, is in the 30s right now. That means almost 70% of Americans think he stinks. FACT.
Anon: "Many,many Americans aren't as troubled over Trumps morality as you are."
Yes, I'm aware of that. And those Americans are called hypocrites. And it's their and your problem, not mine.
Also, Anon @4/26, 6:55 PM, you should consider this:
Good People Don’t Defend A Bad Man
Shaw Kenawe said...
"Good People Don’t Defend A Bad Man"
But, But...but You Defended Barrack Obama!
It’s so funny reading trump supporters through the years. First, “oh everyone says off color things once in a while.” Then it’s “well, he obviously didn’t mean that, or you’ve taken it out of context”. Now it’s so bad they just throw up their hands “so what if he’s a disgusting pig of a man, so what? So am I for liking him, SO WHAT!!! “
And for the record, I personally have been burned by the new tax laws. First time in the 21 years of owning my tiny house that, not only did I not get a decent refund, but I had to pay the government. And in the county where I live, a homeowner with my income is considered low income. Who was this tax bill supposed to help again?
Possumlady
Let it be known that the troll, "Steve" is an idiot.
Possomlady
I own my home, I did not realize any sort of tax break, and I own a home in one of the most expensive cities to live in in the country. Trump cut taxes on the 1%, and his followers, who are mostly NOT the 1% are happy to pay for billionaire tax cuts. That's where their support of Trump got them.
His supporters traded their religious and family values for the privilege of giving billionaires a tax break. There's something about their intelligence and "values" buried in that fact.
skud, “Ms. Shaw, I will grant you that trump is a moral pig but some of us have bills to pay and therefore his actions on behalf of the American Taxpayer puts him far above...”
One could interpret that skud just admitted to being a whore. Pay him enough and he will do anything you want, including supporting an immoral, racist, bigoted criminal in the White House.
Yes, a VERY DECENT and GOOD MAN. Quite unlike tRump, undoubtedly your hero.
Jerry, It's an old story. All through the ages there have been groups of people willing to toss their morals and values out the window as long as they either vanquished their opponents or got one of their leaers to give them some crumbs.
Just two from history: Mussolini promised to get the trains to run on time and to get rid of the Mafia.
Hitler promised to make Germany great again.
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