1 min read

There should be a correction to the Feb. 25 Press Herald story on the encounter between Gov. Mills and President Donald Trump (“The making of a moment“). It looks like a small thing, but it’s really a big thing because of its constitutional import.

The article quotes Trump as saying, “Well, we are the federal law.” That is not correct. Listen to the video and audio. Trump did not start off his sentence with “Well,” he started off with “I’m,” then he corrected himself and said, “I’m– we are the federal law.” That “L’État c’est moi” Freudian slip tells us all we need to know about his mindset. And that is the real issue.

We have a president who wants to be king, like Louis XIV. Executive orders are not the law of the land. No president gets to make any law of the land. That is Congress’ task as set forth in Article I of the Constitution. What we’ve been seeing is a president arrogating Article I powers to himself. That cannot stand.

Therefore, it is up to we the people to make our voices to be heard in the halls of Congress. Ask them why they are ceding their most important power to one person. Demand they stand up to this wannabe king.

Roger Smith
Portland

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