Robert Reich
It’s a violation of the Constitution. There was no consultation with Congress, no consultation — as far as I can tell — with anybody. Trump is isolated. It’s a dangerous move. There’s no indication he has explored all of the potential negative consequences or any ways out. It was clear from the start it was not going to be a complete success. He claims it’s a complete success, but he claims everything. I mean, you can’t trust a word he says. And you can’t trust a word he gets from anybody, because he’s surrounded himself with sycophants who won’t give him the truth.
Of course, the retaliation has already begun. What does all this mean? It means that he gains even more power for his dictatorship, because there’s nothing like a war to give a head of state more concentrated power and to make it more difficult for everybody else, including the courts, to constrain him.
If I can speak presumptively for other members of Bill Clinton’s cabinet, we all put loyalty to the United States higher than loyalty to Bill Clinton. Not that there’s necessarily a trade off with every president. But you’ve got to understand that if you are in a cabinet position, your job is to do the public’s work. You take an oath of allegiance to the Constitution. The public is counting on you. By sharp contrast, Donald Trump doesn’t understand that, and none of the people around him seem to understand that.
Auteur: Robert Reich
