Award winning journalist Kurt Eichenwald gave a lot of Twitter readers anxiety and insomnia when he posted a 17-part Twitter thread yesterday afternoon about why it wouldn't be difficult for Trump to use executive power to effectively make himself dictator for life.
1. For those who don’t understand the fragility of American democracy in the hands of an unscrupulous autocrat – a scenario never imagined possible by the Founders under our Constituion – the cancellation of elections is quite simple and arguably legal. Which is why…
— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) November 1, 2019
2…I fear for 2020. It all comes down to presidential emergency powers. They are poorly defined in the Constitution and under law. They are enormous and Trump clearly has been told that – remember how trump keeps saying he can do *anything* under the Constitution. Back when….
— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) November 1, 2019
3…there was Japanese internment, Justice Robert Jackson wrote of this power in his dissent that it “lies about like a loaded weapon, ready for the hand of any authority that can bring forward a plausible claim of an urgent need.” We have already seen Trump do this without…
— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) November 1, 2019
4…consequence to override congress to pay for his wall. Nothing can stop him because he said “emergency” and there is nothing to stop him.
So, it’s October 25, 2020. Polls show that trump is going to lose in a landslide. He announces a national emergency – we have evidence…
— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) November 1, 2019
5…”that millions of illegal aliens are conspiring to vote and undermine our democracy. Therefore, I am declaring a national emergency, suspending elections until this corruption is weeded out.” And that’s it. People can sue, but his powers are broad enough and his corrupt…
— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) November 1, 2019
6…judiciary would have to knock it down. And even if it did, there is nothing in the Constitution that says he has to abide by the ruling. Just the courts own interpretations. He can argue that Marbury v Madison does not apply in emergencies, and who can stop him? Ok, now…
— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) November 1, 2019
Image: By Shealah Craighead – This file has been extracted from another file: Official Portrait of President Donald Trump.jpg, Public Domain, Link
