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Uneasy chair

Posted

To the editor:

The Founding Fathers built our government on a three legged stool. Three co-equal branches  — executive, legislative and judicial — to serve as a system of checks and balances. Having shaken off the yoke of tyranny, our founders were determined to never again submit to an autocrat.

The stool has withstood every challenge it has faced for over two-hundred years, including an attempted coup d’état by the 45th president, Donald Trump. 

His return as our 47th executive has the stool wobbling. A submissive legislature has abrogated its authority, allowing Trump to dismantle congressionally established agencies and usurp Congress’ power of the purse.

Now, Trump has taken an axe to the second leg. Despite a 9-0 Supreme Court decision ordering the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a law-abiding undocumented immigrant wrongly sent to El Salvador, Trump defiantly refused. Instead, he invited El Salvador President Nayib Bukele to the White House and Bukele made it clear that Garcia will not be returned. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio excused Trump’s actions, saying “foreign policy is conducted by the president ... not the courts.” Wrong, Mr. Rubio; Garcia’s deportation is a matter of law, due process guaranteed by the 14th Amendment, not foreign policy. 

Trump went further. While seated next to Bukele, Trump said he is considering violating the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment by sending convicted U.S. citizens to El Salvador. Since the Trump-Bukele meeting, it was reported that 75 percent of those deported to El Salvador have no criminal history in the U.S.

No U.S. president has ever shown this much contempt for the rule of law — usurping Congress’ powers, suing the press and law firms, removing/silencing dissenting voices, sanctioning universities over on-campus free speech and defying court orders. We are quickly becoming a banana republic.

Joseph Cannisi

Comments

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  • JDonne

    The writer’s letter is replete with opinions and political leanings. It asserts that Trump’s actions, such as disregarding a SCOTUS order and contemplating sending American citizens to El Salvador, are illegal and could disrupt the existing power dynamics. (Trump will send American citizens to El Salvador. Are you serious?) Give me a break!

    Thursday, April 24 Report this

  • TeriDeCastro

    Crickets from these NYC liberals when Fake President Biden committed Treason by intentionally letting 20 million illegal criminals into USA, no comment when protecting victims from the horrendous crime and corrupt DA's, no bail laws and sanctuary cities that have destroyed the once Big Apple; all illegal actions ....Ditto when taxpayers were on the hook for student loans when Biden went against the Supreme Court, not once, not twice, but three times shutting down his EO.

    I keep saying NYS & NYC get what it pays (votes) for, or the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, however, based on most of the opinions in this newspaper (and others) this is what the residents want (same in CA).. You all are ready to re-elect Corrupt Cuomo as your new Mayor ... Can't Make it Up !

    Well, place the nail in the coffin alone, keep your hate for Donald Trump, MAGA and conservatives to yourselves, stop hoisting your self-destruction on the rest of the country..

    Misery Needs Company -- Normal Americans, Dont Give In To It !!! Thank You

    Wednesday, April 30 Report this

  • reenjoe

    Where on earth do MAGA voters get their information? "20 million illegal criminals" let in under Biden? For starters the entire undocumented population is less than 15 million people and more than 10 million of those were in the U.S. when Biden took office. As for referring to those here without authorization as "illegal criminals" is disgusting; illegal border crossing is a misdemeanor, not a felony.

    Cashless bail was passed into law not by fiat. And, Biden didn't "go against the Supreme Court", he heeded it which is why he tried 3 separate approaches to address SCOTUS objections. Trump is the one who is ignoring a SCOTUS decision.

    NY & NYC are great at providing good paying jobs that putting rooves over people's heads. provide pensions and healthcare but bad for everything else? Red states have the highest crime rates, the lowest pay and the least disposable income per capita. Let's follow their lead? I think not!

    Wednesday, April 30 Report this