Trump Vows to Trash the Constitution
In 60 Minutes interview, Trump says the Constitution "doesn't necessarily give us the right to commit suicide, as a country, OK?"
In an interview last night on the CBS show 60 Minutes, Donald Trump was asked about the fact that his running mate, Mike Pence, once described Trump's call to ban Muslims from entering the United States as "offensive and unconstitutional."
Trump's response? "You know?the Constitution?there's nothing like it. But it doesn't necessarily give us the right to commit suicide, as a country, OK?"
There you have it. Trump freely admits that he won't let the Constitution and its pesky limits on government power get in the way of his agenda.
The idea that the Constitution "is not a suicide pact" has always been the last refuge for the worst sort of censors, warmongers, and authoritarians throughout U.S. history. Just think about all the ways in which this line of thinking might be used to obliterate constitutional rights:
- Mr. President, you can't declare war unilaterally. That power resides in Congress. "The Constitution is not a suicide pact."
- Mr. President, you can't censor the internet. "The Constitution is not a suicide pact."
- Mr. President, you can't forcibly shutter houses of worship. "The Constitution is not a suicide pact."
- Mr. President, you can't outlaw the private ownership of guns. "The Constitution is not a suicide pact."
- Mr. President, you can't take private property for public use without paying just compensation. "The Constitution is not a suicide pact."
- Mr. President, you can't order American forces to commit acts of torture and other war crimes. "The Constitution is not a suicide pact."
Congratulations, Republicans. This is your presumptive nominee for the presidency of the United States.
