1w ago

GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley says Trump isn't following the law

www.huffpost.com GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley Says Trump Isn't Following The Law

The Iowa Republican said the president needs to notify Congress before firing watchdogs in charge of rooting out waste, fraud and corruption.

Summary

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) criticized Donald Trump for illegally firing inspectors general without giving Congress 30 days' notice.

Trump recently dismissed the USAID inspector general after a report exposed the administration’s mismanagement of foreign aid, putting $489 million in food assistance at risk.

Grassley, a longtime watchdog advocate, said Trump could still remove officials legally by placing them on administrative leave.

64 comments

With full control of the executive, Congressional, and supreme Court, all of this stuff could be done legally. Trump is CHOOSING not to for the sole purpose of extending the power of the executive as has been described by many (Unitary Executive Theory). These senators and representatives would be smart not to cede any power, they will not get it back.
- These senators and representatives would be smart not to cede any power, they will not get it back.
  Yeah, that emphasized part is important and is unlikely. Why? Because they hope it will mean they never loose power. They are not thinking of ever loosing any power.
  
  *lose
  *losing
  
  Interesting move, to surrender all your power to the executive branch in hopes of keeping your power...

so fucking do something

You need enough Republicans speaking up that they can impeach Trump. Dems are being quiet to let Republicans lead on this, they are the only ones who could possibly do it. Democrats leading will only make Republicans defend him.
- Yea you've got a good point actually. I would say the GOP are got damn toddlers, but that would be an insult to toddlers everywhere and you don't want to end up on the toddler cartel shit list.
- I don't mean to be rude, but are you from Candyland? You need 20 Republicans in the Senate to convict him and remove him from office. He tried to kill them and they still didn't convict him.
  It won't happen.
  
  I'm largely inclined to agree, but his point stands that the Democrats are completely impotent in the current situation (at least legally). Whatever slim chance there is rests with Republican infighting.
  I suppose if I try hard I can cling to a hope. He indirectly threatened their lives whole going out the door. A lot of the stakeholders likely genuinely thought he was going to go away without them having to alienate the Trump fanatics. So opting out of second impeachment they perceived as their best shot at retaining power.
  Now Trump is quite directly doing everything to render the legislature powerless. Threaten their lives, that's one thing, but to deny them the power they won, well maybe that's a different thing...
- Republicans speaking up that they can impeach Trump.
- That's why personally I am not sitting here being outraged and Facebooking the outrage. It ain't gonna do anything.
  
  I mean, I'm sitting here outraged, but I'm not plastering it on Facebook.

You going to do anything about there Chuckie? No? That's what I fucking thought.

YOURE THE CHECKS IN CHECKS AND BALANCE

Trump? Doing illegal things??? Shocked! I am shocked! Yes, that's the word. No other word describes my feelings on this! Shocked I say!!!
........not that shocked actually.
- If only there was some sort of indication he doesn't follow the law, like previous impeachments, actual court convictions and decades of being a real estate developer.
  
  If only there were. For now, we’ll just have to let Donald “I’m a convicted felon” Trump do whatever he wants.

Ummm it’s your job to keep him in line. Fucking do it

If only there was something the Senate could do to like, remove him from office for acting like a dictator... some sort of, call me crazy, impeachment.

Doesn't matter. Official acts. Even apart from that, who's going to investigate or prosecute? DoJ?
- Someone who hates their job…cause they’ll end up being fired as soon as Trump finds out the investigation
  
  Nobody at DoJ is going to investigate a sitting president without full approval from AG.
- In theory an illegal act would have Congress impeach him, and the Senate hold a trial to find him guilty or innocent, if found guilty he is removed. In theory if he refuses to step down the U.S. military would remove him under their oath of office as well. For which since he was removed by the Senate he would be guilty of unknown (likely treason)
  The truth is that the Senate will not vote to find him guilty. But yeah, what also is interesting there is while treason is charged in a civilian court, an acting commander in chief is a member of the military, and thus could likely be held for treason charges as acting military as well. Both treason charges have a maximum sentence of death. Minimum sentence is likely dishonorable discharge minimum 5 years prison. (For a 78 year old man with court times, pretty much life in Prison). Being that he is a high profile case and it is military based, one would hope they would use the money his administration put towards Guantanamo to hold him their without bail until conviction.). That is but a dream of justice though.
  
  an acting commander in chief is a member of the military, and thus could likely be held for treason charges as acting military as well.
  No he's not. The president is C-in-C of the military but he is explicitly still a civilian. The founding fathers wanted to ensure the military was always under the command of a civilian government.

This guy is fourth in the line of succession for the presidency. Just something to keep in mind.
- Ah, I see you're a fan of the famed triple luigi manuver.
  
  We do not want him in the office either
- 91 years old

Who could have known that a 34-time convicted felon would have so little regard for the law?

So impeach the fuckhead, fuckhead

Well, try to stop him, then, you idiot. That asshole is your fault.

my god, HE ISN’T !?

no shit son

Either vote against his bullshit or you're supporting his law breaking.

Spineless coward says what?

Does no one remember the fucking SCOTUS decision about immunity?

Mr. Internet Explorer over here

Thank baby Jesus I was already on my fainting couch when I read this!
- You have a couch that can faint??? Don't tell Vance!

You know I was thinking it was a possibility, but thank fucking God Chuck Grassley said it was against the law. Up until right now I was on the fence.

Betcha he'd gladly back any trump bill though...

Then do something about it you crusty old fossil. You broke it. Now fix it.

wutcha gonna do when they come for you, chuck? roll over? bend over? or hang the fucking traitors running roughshod over everything this nation has stood for its entire existence?