Both major parties defend the Constitution only when it’s convenient.
by Jacob Sullum
Reason.com
Democrats, who routinely complain about Donald Trump’s power grabs when they do not like the results, quickly change their tune when they see presidential orders as the easiest way to impose a nationwide policy they favor. Trump, meanwhile, never hesitates to assert authority he does not have, except when it comes to policies he opposes.
That utterly unprincipled approach to executive power is vividly illustrated by the debate between Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden about face mask mandates, which yesterday led Trump to utter these words: “If the president has the unilateral power to order every single citizen to cover their face in nearly all instances, what other powers does he have?” This is the same man who last April asserted “total” authority over COVID-19 lockdowns, saying “the president of the United States calls the shots.”