# The argument that Trump will do whatever he wants and no one can stop him is really fucking boring **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [December 12, 2024, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527 "2024-12-12T02:36:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 35
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2025, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/681 "2025-04-15T05:05:43Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > Until your summoned demon makes you a mod here your opinion on what is or is not a rules violation means nothing. I guess we can safely ignore your opinion of the Constitution then, since you’re not a Supreme Court justice. Move along. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2025, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/682 "2025-04-15T13:19:17Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > How’s the annexation of Canada coming along, BTW? Seems like it wasn’t long ago that your lot were 100% certain that it was inevitable No one said it was 100% inevitable. It’s not as if anyone was saying “I’ll accept your apologies when Harris is sworn in as President” or anything like that. It remains a significant threat, and will grow as the world economy breaks down. Had anyone suggested last November that what was happening now was happening, you’d have said THEN “that would be the crisis point but it won’t happen.” The Supreme Court is being openly defied. The White House is literally forcing law firms to work for it with open threats. Now the President wants to send American citizens to foreign concentration camps. Trump has violated dozens of international treaties and Congress refuses to stop him. Within a few months they’ll likely start doing that. And in three months we’ll be way, way past this. Will you accept what’s happening then? Where do you think the USA will be in July… less of a functioning republic, or more? ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2025, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/683 "2025-04-15T13:39:50Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I mean the “Trump will do whatever he wants and no one can stop him” goalposts you’re leaning on to absolve yourself of any moral responsibility to do anything about it. > > Is Canada our great 51st state yet? Dude, Trump’s been in office less than three months, just because he hasn’t gotten everything he wants, just because a few guardrails are still hanging on by thread, that doesn’t mean we’re out of the woods. Yes, he’s he toned down the **rhetoric** against Canada in the last few weeks, but he’s actively waging economic war against them, he declared an actual state of emergency to justify it. But here what I don’t get. I think we’re basically on the same side here, but you seem to think acknowledging just how bad Trump 2.0 is - and it’s greatly exceeded even the worst predictions…….is surrender, that it’s something that’s going to paralyze us all instead of spurring us to action. I have the opposite view, I think what is actually counterproductive is dousing yourself with Raw Story articles to the point where you’re “Trump walked onto Air Force One with toilet paper stuck on his shoe and Melania snickered and didn’t tell him, look at all these funny memes about it on Reddit!, everything will be OK now!” I like a little comic relief myself, but every day it feels more tone deaf. And I can’t resist the urge to remind everyone you can’t summon demons until your demon-summoning robes arrive from Amazon. A word of advice. As someone who’s participated in a few arcane spiritual practices myself…….the word is discernment. You should hold this stuff closely and use discernment in who you discuss it with. There’s no upside…..if your audience decides this makes you cool and wise and it’s so super great and you’re so disciplined and enlightened for doing this……..it feeds your ego and actively works against you. If you end up having to explain and defend the practice to people that are derisive about it, it feeds into doubts and also actively works against you. I’m actually sort of surprised that the none of the people teaching you or materials you’re studying warned you about this. Good luck with it, but posting about it on the SDMB probably wasn’t a great start. ---
**Author:** ![JoePockets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8dc957/32.png) [@JoePockets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoePockets)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2025, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/684 "2025-04-15T13:43:52Z")
I would imagine that if the trend continues of the GOP House and Senate of play see no evil, here no evil they are going to need a mass pardon from Tump down the road for dereliction of duty! I’ve never seen nothing like this in all my days!….Ive never had a bubbly opinion of politicians But recently I feel the need to hold my nose at the sight of all most all Republicans and some Democrats! I’m nervous where this political behavior is headed and it’s picking up steam. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2025, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/685 "2025-04-15T14:22:51Z")
> [@Zoobi](#): > > He’s going to die in prison is the most likely outcome My guess is that he already has. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2025, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/686 "2025-04-15T14:31:16Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > Dude, Trump’s been in office less than three months, just because he hasn’t gotten everything he wants, just because a few guardrails are still hanging on by thread, that doesn’t mean we’re out of the woods. This. But also, even if some things are getting flipped later due to public opinion, that’s not a refutation of “Trump can do whatever he wants”. Trump is doing whatever he wants which is screwing over the constitution in the first instance and then changing some stuff later when “Tim Apple” et al likely put money in his pocket: it’s still doing whatever he wants. It’s not checks and balances. > [@Smapti](#): > > We’re not quite at a crisis point yet. The admin is engaged in what anyone who’s spent any amount of time playing D&D would call rules-lawyering - they’re poking at finer details of terms like “facilitate the release of” to see what they can get away with without technically violating the Supreme Court’s ruling. > > Now if the courts clarify their ruling to say the government must do something specific to bring Garcia home and they still don’t comply, and the courts refuse to start holding people in contempt or are prevented from doing so, THEN it will be Time To Panic. We’re not quite there yet. Let’s just take stock of the situation here. Hundreds of Americans have had their rights trampled; no trial, no lawyer access, just thrown in the gulag. In one particular, high-profile case, the victim was flown out after the court had said he couldn’t be moved, then repeated court rulings, right up to a 9-0 unanimous SC decision say he must be returned and currently the administration is playing dumb (you call it “rules-lawyering”, but why are they so committed to keeping an innocent man in a prison?) Then, when Bukele visits the white house, Stephen Miller tells Trump that the Supreme court ruled _in the DOJ’s favor_. Before claiming that Garcia is a citizen of El Salvador now, so it’s nothing to do with the US. To all this, you’re saying it’s not a crisis point yet because you speculate that at a future time Trump might start to obey court rulings. It’s ludicrous. Any part of that would be the worst injustice since Japanese internment camps, were it not for all the other injustices happening in this administration. No, I don’t take comfort from wishing on a star that one day one part of this might get reversed. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2025, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/687 "2025-04-15T14:45:06Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > Trump might start to obey court rulings. > It’s ludicrous. It is. Trump already believes he’s the King. Look at the Declaration of Independence where he is doing at least 16 of the things that King George III had been doing. He’s not going to stop, because there is no one to _make_ him stop. Not Congress, not state or federal prosecutors, and not SCOTUS. ---
**Author:** ![DaveUnknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@DaveUnknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveUnknown)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2025, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/688 "2025-04-15T14:48:33Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > I have the opposite view, I think what is actually counterproductive is dousing yourself with Raw Story articles to the point where you’re “Trump walked onto Air Force One with toilet paper stuck on his shoe and Melania snickered and didn’t tell him, look at all these funny memes about it on Reddit!, everything will be OK now!” Hear f’ing hear. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2025, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/689 "2025-04-15T15:13:00Z")
Just on the tariff question, he backed down from the ludicrous level but: 1. The US still has the highest tariffs we’ve had since the 1930s 2. The whole tariff thing is an obvious violation of the constitution. Congress sets tariffs. They allowed the executive to add tariffs in case of a security threat. Trump is obviously violating that with his BS about the trade deficit being the security threat. Congress won’t do anything about it or take back the power that is rightfully theirs. @Smapti, it’s really like “well, he’s loading people into trains, but he’s not actually gassing people yet.” He’s openly and obviously violating SCOTUS’s ruling on the Salvadorean man in a clear violation of the order not to deport him at all. He’s violating the law on tariffs. He’s violating Constitional free speech protections (arresting protestors, canceling funding to schools). He’s violating congressional spending mandates. He’s doing whatever he wants and no one is stopping him. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2025, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/690 "2025-04-15T16:20:23Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > He’s doing whatever he wants and no one is stopping him. But, but…the constitution! Constitution Man™ will soon fly in and stop all the madness. > [@Smapti](#): > > All it’ll take is for him to think of a way to claim all the credit for “saving” Garcia. Are you even considering how awful this situation is for Garcia? You’re talking about this as though it’s just some data point. This could happen to anyone on US territory, just because. As a Canadian, there’s absolutely no way in hell that I will cross the US border for a long time, if ever, because if some border guy wants, he or she can concoct whatever reason for detaining me or sending me off to El Salvador, with no hope of getting out. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2025, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/691 "2025-04-15T16:31:37Z")
> [@velomont](#): > > But, but…the constitution! Constitution Man™ will soon fly in and stop all the madness. [![](https://shirtoid.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/the-founders.jpg) ](https://shirtoid.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/the-founders.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2025, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/692 "2025-04-15T16:34:52Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Now the President wants to send American citizens to foreign concentration camps. He was not a citizen but a lawful resident. However Trump’s position is not based on his citizenship so if he were to deport a citizen the argument is, “Well, he’s in a foreign country so nothing I can do about it.” > [@RitterSport](#): > > The whole tariff thing is an obvious violation of the constitution. SCOTUS has repeated held that Congress can transfer its administrative powers to the Executive Branch. Remember how the Republican Congress complained how Obama usurped their power and Obama’s reply was basically, “You guys gave the President this power.”? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2025, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/693 "2025-04-15T16:38:13Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > He was not a citizen but a lawful resident. However Trump’s position is not based on his citizenship so if he were to deport a citizen the argument is, “Well, he’s in a foreign country so nothing I can do about it.” I know, but Trump is saying he now wants to do this to citizens. He was literally caught telling the El Salvadorean President he needed to build new prisons to accommodate them. [https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/trump-wants-deport-some-us-citizens-el-salvador-2025-04-14/](https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/trump-wants-deport-some-us-citizens-el-salvador-2025-04-14/) > **['Homegrowns are next': Trump floats sending violent American criminals to El...](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/04/14/homegrown-criminals-el-salvador-deport/83090315007/)** > > President Trump on Monday suggested U.S. citizens who commit violent crimes could be sent to El Salvador, saying "homegrowns are next." ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2025, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/694 "2025-04-15T16:42:37Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > SCOTUS has repeated held that Congress can transfer its administrative powers to the Executive Branch. Of course they can. And they did, in case of emergency, allow the executive to set tariffs. This isn’t an emergency, so he’s clearly violating the letter and intent of the law. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2025, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/695 "2025-04-15T16:42:49Z")
It might be a stretch to equate “homegrown” with citizens. Maybe it means Dreamers (DACA) or those who have been here illegally since they were 6 months old with their parents. I am not 100% sure Trump knows what he means. But if he turned around and said he meant birthright babies of foreign nationals, so called anchor babies, that would not be the most surprising thing he’ll do this week. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2025, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/696 "2025-04-15T16:44:42Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > SCOTUS has repeated held that Congress can transfer its administrative powers to the Executive Branch. Not all of them, anymore: > **[Major questions doctrine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_questions_doctrine)** > > The major questions doctrine is a principle of statutory interpretation applied in United States administrative law cases which states that courts will presume that Congress does not delegate to executive agencies issues of major political or economic significance. > According to retired D.C. Circuit Judge Thomas Griffith and Haley Proctor, the "seminal statement" of the major questions doctrine comes from FDA v. Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. (2000): "\[W\]e must be guided to a degree by common... In fact, there’s now a lawsuit arguing just that: > **[Rightwing group backed by Koch and Leo sues to stop Trump tariffs](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/07/trump-tariffs-lawsuit)** > > New Civil Liberties Alliance says president’s invocation of emergency powers to impose tariffs is unlawful ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2025, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/697 "2025-04-15T16:49:53Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > so he’s clearly violating the letter and intent of the law. And if Congress cared enough they would impeach him. This way they have passed a law for Trump’s tariffs without actually passing a law so they can go to the now broke-ass voters in 2026 and say, “WE didn’t pass the tariffs.” > [@SunUp](#): > > Not all of them, anymore: I said administrative meaning day-to-day mundane stuff. But now that I think about it I could be wrong after Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo that it is a simple as “Here executive branch. You do this.” > [@SunUp](#): > > In fact, there’s now a lawsuit arguing just that: I’ll say it here first. Trump’s defense will include that as the person in charge of foreign relations, he is empowered to set tariff because of (pick one of the following) trade wars or national emergency re: invasion ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2025, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/698 "2025-04-15T16:51:15Z")
@crowmanyclouds, excellent! ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2025, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/699 "2025-04-15T17:09:04Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > And if Congress cared enough they would impeach him. Maybe you thought you were in some other thread. This one is about Trump getting away with whatever he wants and no one can stop him. There is no chance of him being impeached, at least until the midterms, let alone convicted at any point. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2025, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527/700 "2025-04-15T17:10:34Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > Maybe you thought you were in some other thread. This one is about Trump getting away with whatever he wants and no one can stop him. There is no chance of him being impeached, at least until the midterms, let alone convicted at any point. Which is why I implied that Congress does not cared enough to impeach Trump for usurping their tariff power, thus letting him do it. Can they stop him? Yes. Will they? No. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527.md?page=34) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-argument-that-trump-will-do-whatever-he-wants-and-no-one-can-stop-him-is-really-fucking-boring/1011527.md?page=36)