Bartleby he isn’t
Fact check: Trump says he will execute constitutional authority to adjourn both chambers of Congress so he can make recess appointments to fill vacancies.
“If the House will not agree to that adjournment, I will exercise my constitutional authority to adjourn both chambers of Congress,” Trump said.
No president has ever used that authority.
The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in NLRB v. Noel Canning that the president cannot use his or her authority under the Recess Appointment Clause of the Constitution to appoint public officials unless the Senate is in recess and not able to transact Senate business. The Senate is in recess until May 4.
Trump was asked for details, and responded with his usual clarity and elegance.
Very simple. If they don’t act on getting these people approved that we need – we need them anyway, but we especially need them now because of the pandemic – we are going to do something that will be … something I’d prefer not doing, but which I should do and I will do if have to.
He’s joking about the prefer not doing, of course. He loves breaking all the rules and pushing everyone around.
Wow. All those appointments they never bothered to approve for Obama, and he never thought of that. Why not? Because he isn’t an insane, delusional, demented narcissist that believed himself to be king.