(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Legal experts say President Donald Trump's earliest days back in office show that he will be testing the limits of Presidential Power and checks and balances.
David Applegate, a conservative attorney who works with the Heartland Institute says if there's one encouraging thing about President Trump's flurry of executive orders in his first week back at the White House, it has people talking about the U.S. Constitution.
“It's actually a very exciting time, I think, not just for lawyers with an interest in the Constitution, but for American citizens to learn more about our Constitution, what it means, what the bounds are, what the scope in particular of presidential power is.”
Colleen Connell, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, however, says she is not encouraged or excited about any of this.
“The Executive orders, including the one that seeks to eliminate birthright citizenship, show Trump's ignorance and disregard for the precise protections of the 14th Amendment.”
They both agree that there are systems of checks and balances to keep any American President from going too far. They disagree about whether they will work with this president.
David Applegate, a conservative attorney and constitutional scholar says the U.S. government is designed to keep any President from exceeding the limits. There are safeguards, he says, like the Supreme Court, and Congress.
“I have great faith, Craig, based on my 71 years on the planet and the 248 years of existence of the country, that sufficient guardrails are in place.
However, Colleen Connell, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, notes those are not guaranteed checks and balances.
“I'm apprehensive, but they're all we've got. And I think that we have to mobilize the loyal opposition in Congress, including hopefully a few members of the Republican Party to to adhere to and uphold the oath.”
We look at the President and the Constitution on our ''At Issue'' program this weekend, and you can hear more at 9:30 p.m. on Sunday.
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