No. of Recommendations: 7
As usual, Kinzinger is talking sense. All of those things need to be done.
But they aren't enough. They won't stop another future President from doing exactly the same things. They simply reverse what Trump did.
There needs to be some concrete legislation. Does the Emoluments Clause need some enabling legislation to make it enforceable? Write that legislation. Does the traditional separation between the President and the DOJ need to be formalized? Write that legislation. Do we need a constitutional amendment? Write it and get it going. Do we need to overturn the USSC decision on Presidential immunity? Write that legislation.
What Trump has proved is that we have lots of guardrails in our system of government. But many of those guardrails can be smashed through by a President determined to ignore them. We need stronger guardrails. And that means some new laws - laws that formalize the restraints on the Presidency that have only been voluntarily heeded by the gentlemen who have occupied the office before Trump.
Trump may not be the last bully to occupy the Presidency. If we survive this current Presidency - which I do not take as a given. So the guardrails on Presidential power need to be strengthened and expanded.
And we simply can't forget that all of his lieutenants need to be investigated and prosecuted as appropriate. They lack immunity, but might be afforded a Presidential pardon on the way out the door. Even if pardoned, they still need to be investigated so that the whole truth of the Trump Presidencies can be known. (There's more potential legislation or constitutional amendment - limits on the President's pardon power. I'd suggest not until after a conviction, so no pre-emptive pardons.)
To summarize, I agree with Kinzinger, but feel his ideas are just the beginning of the actions that need to be taken.
--Peter
