Trump (previously) on Obama’s use of executive orders

Ouch. pic.twitter.com/IoYspdHeG1

— The Lincoln Project 🏴‍☠‍ (@ProjectLincoln) August 10, 2020

Senator Capito in 2014

On DACA:

West Virginia Second District Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito called Obama’s decision “unconstitutional and wrong.”

“These actions by executive order intrude on the constitutional role and responsibility of Congress to write, debate and pass laws. Even President Obama said as recently as last year that he lacked the constitutional authority to take this action unilaterally,” Capito said.

Representative McKinley in 2016

"Presidential overreach" was a frequent McKinley theme during the Obama adminstration. This is one example of many:

Rep. David B. McKinley, P.E. (R-WV) issued the following statement on President Obama’s executive actions regarding guns:

“Today’s announcement that President Obama will use executive actions to restrict the ability of law-abiding citizens to purchase firearms is just the latest example of massive overreach by this Administration. Whether its guns, immigration, or coal, time and again President Obama has gone around Congress when it suits him, and taken unilateral action based on questionable constitutionality.

Wheeling “newspapers”

For the eight years of the Obama administration, our local Ogden papers regularly attacked President Obama in editorials and columns. One of the most frequent themes was Obama’s “power grabs” via his executive orders. For example, here is Editor Mike Myer summing this up in October 2016:

Look back at the preceding list of Obama’s unilateral actions. Whether you agree with them or not, ask yourself this: Should any individual have the power to take such actions?

The nation’s founders thought not. That’s why they established three branches of government to act as checks and balances on each other.

At least we’ll be rid of one of the most imperial presidents in history soon.

A conservative's reaction to Trump's recent executive order

Here is Andrew McCarthy, in the National Review explaining his take on the constitutionality of Trump’s executive action on Saturday:

A president has the power to dictate terms and confer benefits only insofar as Congress has granted it by statute. Congress has not statutorily empowered presidents to pay unemployment compensation to people who have lost wages due to COVID-19 job losses. Consequently, President Trump’s unilateral executive action, directing the Department of Homeland Security to divert disaster-relief funding to pay $300 per week in lost-wages compensation (i.e., 75 percent federal underwriting of $400 payments, with the states making up the rest) is unlawful and unconstitutional.

And what has Capito, McKinley, and Ogden Newspapers had to say about Trump’s action?