Trump’s Latest Hair-Brained Scheme: Constitutional Amendment to Tell Congress ‘You’re Fired’

EDITORIAL: Trump Calling for Congressional Term Limits Is, Well, for Lack of a Better Word, Ridiculous

Donald Trump on Tuesday announced his latest hair-brained scheme that harkens back to his reality TV show hot days, and reveals just how little he knows, and how little he cares, about the role of President of the United States. The Republican nominee will tell voters he is calling for a constitutional amendment to impose term limits on Congress.

“If I’m elected president, I will push for a constitutional amendment to impose term limits on all members of Congress,” Trump said at a rally in Colorado, Politico reports, calling it “an expansion of his new campaign pledge to ‘drain the swamp’ in Washington.”

“They’ve been talking about that for years,” Trump continued. “Decades of failure in Washington and decades of special interest dealing must and will come to an end.”

If you’re thinking this sounds both fishy and retaliatory, you’re right.

Here’s why Trump calling for congressional term limits is, well, for lack of a better word, ridiculous.

First, Trump has been snubbed by Washington, and has thus snubbed them. Even Paul Ryan has tried to work with him and found it impossible. So calling for term limits just sounds like he’s now attacking Congress because so few Republicans endorsed him, and some even revoked their endorsements.

Next, the president, contrary to what Trump may think, has zero power when it comes to constitutional amendments. The president cannot initiate one, nor can he sign or veto one. Amendments to the U.S. Constitution have to start either in the states, or in Congress. 

Which brings us to the next point. Congress will not start the process of putting themselves out of work. It will never happen. And out of 50 states, the chances of getting consensus in this political environment are nil.

Sure, three-quarters of Americans say they would love term limits for Congress, and sure, Congress’ approval rating is, according to a Gallup report just last week, at 18%. Stunningly, that’s twice what it was just two years ago. But as much as Americans claim they want to “fire” Congress, what their actions show – they keep re-electing members of Congress – is they want to fire everyone else’s Congressmen and Senators – not theirs.

Here’s what some journalists and pundits are saying right now about Trump’s latest escapade into insanity:

So it’s Donald Trump, once again, sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong, taking up an issue that actually has nothing to do with the job of president, and it’s an issue so far removed from the average American voter’s mind – especially three weeks until the election is over – that it is, frankly, ridiculous.

But what else should we expect from him?

 

Image by Gage Skidmore via Flickr and a CC license