Trump Signs New Order to Vastly Expand Presidential Powers
www.thedailybeast.com
The president’s new executive order would give him control over independent agencies, testing a once-fringe legal theory. Lawsuits are sure to follow.

Summary

Donald Trump signed an executive order expanding presidential control over independent agencies, including the FTC, FCC, and SEC.

The order enforces the “unitary executive theory,” which argues the president has sole authority over the executive branch. It grants Trump’s budget chief, Russell Vought, oversight of these agencies’ performance and budgets.

The move is expected to face legal challenges, as past presidents have largely respected agency independence.

Trump defended the order, stating, “He who saves his Country does not violate any Law.”

  • Modern_medicine_isnt@lemmy.world
    25·
    5 months ago

    What is the legal argument against this? The article was paywalled, but the summay only says that past presidents have respected agency independence. That sounds like just a gentlemans agreement. Nothing legally binding. So do the challenges have a leg to stand on?

    • andrew_bidlaw@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      23·
      5 months ago

      Musk’s and his actions are illegal, or were illegal mostly before the Supreme Court decided there’s some sleezy presidential immunity. The problem is they are so firm and quick at changing the rules of the game that no institution can catch up and, most importantly, generally afraid they would be directly attacked by these fuckers. Some commenters preciously said that it’s stupid that most of people who could’ve challenged or straight up dismissed his executive orders are pussies for resigning or being complicit, but, in their defence, all of their personal data was leaked by Muskrat and he and Trump have a pardoned terrorist cell to carbomb them or whatever. And it’s snowballing from department to department, and every new one looks at those who already kneed to the maggot.

      All these famous checks and balances were DDOSed and frightened into submission. i don’t think they were exceptionally and inherently fragile. it’s just the rightwing strategists just got the right guy, the right coverage and the right plan to make it all as easy as break-and-enter with absent homeowners.

      • Modern_medicine_isnt@lemmy.world
        1·
        5 months ago

        What was illegal about what musk did? Be specific. On paper he is “working” for the president, and my understanding is that the cabinet members in charge of the various agencies gave him the go ahead to do what he is doing. Both of those are directly or indirectly elected officials charged with running the executive branch of the government. My take is that congress has depended on gentleman’s agreements rather than passing laws to ensure the agencies aren’t tampered with like is happening now.

      • Modern_medicine_isnt@lemmy.world
        1·
        5 months ago

        This is the truth of it. Picking up $100 bill off the ground in public that isn’t yours isn’t actually illegal. And what trump is doing is attempting to stretch the powers of his office. This isn’t anything new really. Just how he is doing it, how much and how fast is new.

      • samus12345@lemm.eeEnglish
        1·
        5 months ago

        Who would have thought the Air Bud defense would be the death knell of democracy in America?

    • Barbecue Cowboy@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      161·
      5 months ago

      I don’t think there is a good one. It sounds like this is another one of those things where the rules were mostly relying on the idea that the people wouldn’t elect someone who was expected to try to do something like this.

    • ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca
      13·
      5 months ago

      There are laws against it but the Supreme Court gave the president total immunity so all those laws are now void

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.worldEnglish
      91·
      5 months ago

      What is the legal argument against this?

      None. We stacked the court with Unitary Executive friendly judges a long time ago.

      So do the challenges have a leg to stand on?

      John Marshall Roberts has made his decision; now let him enforce it!

    • Randomgal@lemmy.ca
      104·
      5 months ago

      “He who saves his Country does not violate any Law.” It’s literally in the OP bro.

    • Maggoty@lemmy.world
      2·
      5 months ago

      Well the boards are appointed by the President with Senate approval. The President can also remove a board member at any time. The board members are generally in pretty good control of the agency.

      This seems like it is at most an attempt to end run the Senate but likely just an order to establish a liaison office once you parse everything. He’s passing all these sweeping language orders but also putting in that they should follow all applicable laws.