“Dictator on day one:” promise honored as Trump goes after birthright citizenship and independent inspectors general
On Monday, newly inaugurated President Donald Trump tried to nullify the Constitution with an executive order directing agencies to no longer honor the 14th Amendment’s declaration of birthright citizenship.
Trump closed the week late on Friday by daring Congress to stem his corruption. He attempted to fire more than a dozen independent inspectors general (IG) without providing Congress with the required 30 day notice or details on cause for dismissal.
Trump promised voters he would act like a dictator on day one; he honored that promise, in spades.
The courts, responding to an appeal from multiple secretaries of state, fulfilled their role on Thursday. Senior U.S. District Judge John Coughenour, appointed by President Reagan, was unequivocal in his dismissal of that executive order:
“I’ve been on the bench for over four decades, I can’t remember another case where the question presented is as clear as this one is. This is a blatantly unconstitutional order… I have difficulty understanding how a member of the bar could state unequivocally that this is a constitutional order. It just boggles my mind.”
News media rose to the challenge: 22 Democratic-led states sue over Trump’s birthright citizenship order, The Attack on Birthright Citizenship Is a Big Test for the Constitution, Democrats, Pro-Voting Groups Sue to Block Trump’s Order Restricting Birthright Citizenship, The Trump executive orders that threaten democracy.
Expect this executive order that attempts to override a Civil War-era constitutional amendment to make its way to the US Supreme Court. By rescinding a birth certificate as proof citizenship, Trump is making any claim of citizenship unprovable.
There is not yet a media outcry against the attempted Friday night massacre of independent government watchdogs at the departments of (reportedly)
- Agriculture
- Commerce
- Defense
- Education
- Energy
- Health and Human Services
- House and Urban Development
- Interior
- Labor
- State
- Transportation
- Treasury
- Veteran’s Affairs
as well as the Environmental Protection Agency, Small Business Administration and the Social Security Administration.
The inspectors general were dismissed via emails from the White House Presidential Personnel Office, with no notice sent to lawmakers on Capitol Hill, who have pledged bipartisan support for the watchdogs, in advance of the firings… The emails gave no substantive explanation for the dismissals, with at least one citing “changing priorities” for the move…
The job of inspectors general resulted from post-Watergate reforms in 1978; their role is to expose agency abuses to Congress as an independent agent. Traditionally, the terms of these non-partisan positions extend across administrations. According to the NYT, there are 36 “Senate confirmed, presidentially appointed” IGs. Others are appointed by agencies.
Hannibal Ware, Small Business Administration IG and leader of a council that represents inspectors general across government, wrote Sergio Gor, the director of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel:
“At this point, we do not believe the actions taken are legally sufficient to dismiss Presidentially Appointed, Senate Confirmed Inspectors General.”
I applaud the IGs who seem prepared to refuse to obey in advance.
The IG story does not seem to have generated news coverage equivalent to President Richard Nixon’s Saturday Night Massacre in 1973, although both were weekend acts. Nixon directed Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus to fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox; both men resigned rather than undertake the order. Solicitor General Robert Bork complied.
There is lackluster opposition from Republicans who ostensibly endorse the IG role.
“I’d like further explanation from President Trump,” Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) has told the press. He didn’t criticize the action, however.
And the opposition party?
The New York Times app does not have this story in the politics or today sections, even though it broke around midnight. Instead, the NYT politics section leads with a feature on crypto and includes stories about the Covid “lab leak theory” and the Trump-Kushner hotel in Serbia. No “breaking” news. And nothing on the Friday night illegal attempt at cleaning house. #BrokenTimes
The Washington Post app includes the Friday night massacre in both its politics and top stories sections.
As The Washington Post so aptly notes, the first week was “Flood the zone. Repeat.” It’s not possible for one human to track all the outrage and chaos. That is the point.
I’m choosing to focus on corruption and lawlessness. Stay tuned.
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