Occasionally, observers get a reminder of just how off course the United States really is. In most any other presidential era, an innocuous social media post about a document as fundamental as the Constitution would fade away into a broader picture of presidential formalities. When President Donald Trump puts such a post on Twitter, though, it’s a jolt — wait, this is what our presidents are supposed to be acting like? Don’t forget that the answer is yes.
He wished his followers a happy Constitution Day on Monday, honoring the day in 1787 that representatives of the first Americans signed onto the founding document.
Happy Constitution Day! https://t.co/9KiLowP3Hh
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 17, 2018
Ironically, though, he’s run up against the principles enshrined in that admittedly imperfect document time and time again.
On a practical level, he’s faced continued challenges over his apparent incessant violations of the “emoluments clause,” which prohibits public officials like the president from reaping benefits from foreign interests without Congressional oversight. Trump does so through his still intact global business empire, which he remains financially invested in despite giving up executive control. Among others to challenge him, the attorneys general of Maryland and Washington, D.C., have brought a court case against the president over the issue.
And then there are all of the other glaring problems with the Trump administration. Special Counsel for the Russia investigation Robert Mueller is continuing his probe at present, seeking to discover what secret benefits the Trump campaign may have reaped from Kremlin meddling efforts during the 2016 election season.
Trump hasn’t exactly welcomed that investigation, imagining there to be conspiracies around every corner, essentially. In light of his wild behavior, there have been claims of senior officials mulling over activating the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, which lets officials basically depose the president if he’s unfit to lead. That claim surfaced prominently in a piece recently published in The New York Times and written by an anonymous Trump administration official whose identity still remains not publicly known.
But hey, Happy Constitution Day, right?
Check out Twitter’s response below.
Featured Image via YouTube screenshot
