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Commander-in-Chief — With One Big Asterisk
The U.S. Supreme Court has recently ruled the President is ‘above the law’ in his or her official duties — here’s one big concern.
The oath of office for the President of the United States (and many other appointed and elected U.S. governmental offices), is as follows:
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section 1, Clause 8
Where the asterisk comes in is how a President chooses to execute their office and in their own mind, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. There are a few Presidents who have tossed out laws (and court rulings) once in office, including Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln. Does the President have an obligation or duty to protect all citizens — including the folks in the U.S. Capitol?
The U.S. President — as described by the White House and codified in the U.S. Constitution in Article 2, Section 2, Clause 1 — is also the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. armed forces. There were several significant reasons the founders of the country wanted an elected…
