Sen. Angus King: Trump tries to manage unrelated law or constitutional restraint

Almost 75 years ago, Junior Republican Senator from MaineMargaret Chase Smith delivered a speech from the heart around the crisis, then faced our country: a crisis that does not arise from a foreign opponent, but inside. The crisis that threatened values ​​and ideals in the basis of the American Democratic Experiment.

Her “statement of conscience” has proven to be one of the most important speeches 20. century and defined Smith as a person of extraordinary courage and principle.

Reflecting to speech later told me that she was so nervous in speech – it was the height of the redundant early fifties – that she told her boss, Bill Lewis not to hand over the text of the text print Until she actually started talking on the floor because she was afraid she could lose their nerves.

But she passed with that, and the rest is literally, history.

Trump Pare in advance on this campaign promises because it reaches 100 days in the office

Here’s how she started that speech:

“Mr. President, I would like to say briefly and simply about a serious national situation. It is a national sense of fear and frustration that could result in national suicide and the end of everything you are taking care of.

Maine Republican Senator Margaret Chase Smith in her office, Washington DC, 1948. years. (PhotoQuest / Getty Images)

She continued,

“I think it’s high time for United States Senate And his members to do a real soul seeking and weighing our conscience in the way we perform our duty to the people of America and in the way we use or abuse our individual powers and privileges. “

Later in speech, Smith concluded,

“It stopped politically thinking as Republicans and Democrats about the elections and started thinking about national security based on individual freedom.

Sen. Margaret Chase Smith (R. Maine) walks over a portable plaza in this undiged photo. (Getty images)

I’m afraid we’re at a similar moment.

Senator Smith Department, “serious national state” with which we encounter today, should not be viewed as a partisan issue; It is about the idea of ​​America and the System of the Government that supported us more than two centuries. It’s not about it President’s Daylight (And yes, I don’t agree with most of that), but it’s about the way he follows him. This uneven non-process endangers all of us, his depractors and supporters.

Although many of my colleagues seem to be determined to ignore it, this president is engaged in the most declined opposite to Constitution In our history, and we are in this body, at least so far inert. And that’s why an accomplice.

It is worth stopping for a moment to look at the terms of Article II, which outline the Powers and Responsibilities of the President: the power to pardon and the role of commanding armed forces in war. But even these rims are power limited by the reservation of Congress to be able to state the war in the first row.

United States Constitution (Istock)

The main responsibility of the President, however, was explicitly written: the Executive Director “takes care that the laws are faithfully executed.” The President’s job is simply executing the laws that have adopted Congress, without exception – the responsibility of this president is spectacularly not fulfilling.

The Management Board has also taken a series of seemingly unrelated actions taken together, our fast road to a rule of one man.

Although this is the most serious violation, the administration has also taken a series of seemingly unrelated actions taken, taken together, our fast road to a rule of one man.

Here is a partial list:

• Provided for disassembly of agencies that provide basic services to the American people, most favorable in social security and veterans;
• He tried to interrupt the funds in one country – because he took a personal kick to reject our governor to bend to his political preference, which was inconsistent with the state law. Listening, during that exchange, he said, “We are the law,” a statement that is completely inconsistent to our form of government.
• He made endangered national security of the accused of defendants for the defense of our nation against clear and pose a danger of cyberattac and the shooting of many of these individuals;

This is not a complete list, but it represents a disturbing form – that this president tries to manage unrelated law or constitutional restraint.

To those who love President’s policies And they are therefore willing to ignore the unconstitutional means that the effects of them, I (and history) can only say: look out. Today, the goal can be federal workers, but tomorrow (perhaps under a different president) that could be you.

President Donald Trump in White House 21. April 2025, in Washington, DC (Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images)

So what can we do?

The first patron is the Congress Alone. But unfortunately, most in the congress entirely delighted these fundamental responsibilities.

Another Protector Courts are courts that mostly hold their end of the Constitutional Offer. Easy as if it can be fully relying on the courts, it is a way out; The refund must be a joint project.

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The final Guardrail is the people, which are more and more spoken in the correspondence in the correspondence, in the city hall, and in conversations in the trade of food products.

We cannot escape the responsibility of our oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic;” (and in order for us) “” wore the truth of faith and loyalty to the same same. ”

So thanks to Margaret Chase Smith on her example and inspiration, this is my “statement of conscience”. I don’t enjoy this point but I feel I have no choice but to call clear implications and dangers of President Donald Trump’s the first 100 days.

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Many years ago, President Abraham Lincoln He came to Congress at the time when our chambered our leaned facing the responsibilities that suppressed them. At that critical moment, this said,

“Citizens, we cannot escape history. We from this congress and this administration will remain remembered in spite of themselves. No personal significance or insignificance.

I deeply hope that we will follow our firearm to choose a part – and the constitution.