4 years ago today: Trump claims 'ultimate' and 'total' authority
In February, the Supreme Court agreed to hear Donald Trump’s claim that a U.S. president enjoys “absolute immunity.” According to one of Trump’s attorneys, that even includes the right to order Seal Team Six to murder a political opponent. As ridiculous as those claims may be, and as scary as it is for the court to give them consideration, absolute immunity isn’t the only absolute Trump believes he is due. During the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, as governors acted to protect their states, Trump wanted to overrule them. As Republican governors began removing constraints, Trump wanted credit. And on April 13, Trump's desires boiled over at one of his daily coronavirus briefings. After a discussion of the situation by Dr. Anthony Fauci, Trump shooed Fauci away from the podium and launched an extended session of self-congratulations. During that session, Trump explained to America that governors don’t have the authority to make any decisions over their states. But someone did. “Well, I have the ultimate authority,” said Trump. That ultimate authority became the theme of the day as Trump returned to it over and over, starting with this completely unenlightening definition. TRUMP: Let me just tell you—very simple. I'm going to put it very simply: The president of the United States has the authority to do what the president has the authority to do, which is very powerful. The president of the United States calls the shots. Trump went on to explain that both state and local governments “can't do anything without the approval of the President of the United States,” but he still wasn’t done proclaiming his unlimited authority. TRUMP: When someone’s the president of the United States, the authority is total. That’s the way it’s gotta be. REPORTER: Your authority is total? TRUMP: Total. Trump took a moment to complain about “a couple of Democratic governors” who weren’t going along with his orders before again claiming that “the authority of the president of the United States is total.” At least one reporter in the audience was clearly stunned by this claim KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN, CNN: A quick question about something you just said. You said, “When someone is president of the United States, their authority is total." That is not true. Who— who told you that? TRUMP: You know what we’re going to do? We’re going to write up papers on this. It’s not going to be necessary because the governors need us one way or the other. … COLLINS: Has any governor agreed that you have the authority to decide when their state opens back up? TRUMP: I haven’t asked anybody, because you know why? Because I don’t have to. Collins made one last try saying. “But who told you the president has total authority?” Trump scowled at her, held up a finger, and replied brusquely, “Enough.” That was it for questioning Trump’s authority. But then, this was a very busy day for Trump. In addition to telling every governor and local government what to do, he also spent the day convincing Russia and Saudi Arabia to make massive cuts in oil production, ensuring that American consumers would pay higher prices at the pump. He even went so far as to treat Saudi Arabia as he had Ukraine, threatening them with the loss of U.S. military support if they didn’t go along with his plan. It may seem extreme, but then Trump claimed to have absolute authority along with absolute immunity. Maybe we should be grateful that’s all he did that day … so far as we know. Embedded Content Campaign Action
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In February, the Supreme Court agreed to hear Donald Trump’s claim that a U.S. president enjoys “absolute immunity.” According to one of Trump’s attorneys, that even includes the right to order Seal Team Six to murder a political opponent. As ridiculous as those claims may be, and as scary as it is for the court to give them consideration, absolute immunity isn’t the only absolute Trump believes he is due.
During the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, as governors acted to protect their states, Trump wanted to overrule them. As Republican governors began removing constraints, Trump wanted credit.
And on April 13, Trump's desires boiled over at one of his daily coronavirus briefings. After a discussion of the situation by Dr. Anthony Fauci, Trump shooed Fauci away from the podium and launched an extended session of self-congratulations. During that session, Trump explained to America that governors don’t have the authority to make any decisions over their states. But someone did.
“Well, I have the ultimate authority,” said Trump.
That ultimate authority became the theme of the day as Trump returned to it over and over, starting with this completely unenlightening definition.
TRUMP: Let me just tell you—very simple. I'm going to put it very simply: The president of the United States has the authority to do what the president has the authority to do, which is very powerful. The president of the United States calls the shots.
Trump went on to explain that both state and local governments “can't do anything without the approval of the President of the United States,” but he still wasn’t done proclaiming his unlimited authority.
TRUMP: When someone’s the president of the United States, the authority is total. That’s the way it’s gotta be.
REPORTER: Your authority is total?
TRUMP: Total.
Trump took a moment to complain about “a couple of Democratic governors” who weren’t going along with his orders before again claiming that “the authority of the president of the United States is total.”
At least one reporter in the audience was clearly stunned by this claim
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN, CNN: A quick question about something you just said. You said, “When someone is president of the United States, their authority is total." That is not true. Who— who told you that?
TRUMP: You know what we’re going to do? We’re going to write up papers on this. It’s not going to be necessary because the governors need us one way or the other. …
COLLINS: Has any governor agreed that you have the authority to decide when their state opens back up?
TRUMP: I haven’t asked anybody, because you know why? Because I don’t have to.
Collins made one last try saying. “But who told you the president has total authority?”
Trump scowled at her, held up a finger, and replied brusquely, “Enough.” That was it for questioning Trump’s authority.
But then, this was a very busy day for Trump. In addition to telling every governor and local government what to do, he also spent the day convincing Russia and Saudi Arabia to make massive cuts in oil production, ensuring that American consumers would pay higher prices at the pump. He even went so far as to treat Saudi Arabia as he had Ukraine, threatening them with the loss of U.S. military support if they didn’t go along with his plan.
It may seem extreme, but then Trump claimed to have absolute authority along with absolute immunity. Maybe we should be grateful that’s all he did that day … so far as we know.
