Donald Trump once “terminated” a water main
Before the United States Constitution took effect on March 4, 1789, it had been vigorously debated for months. Of course, this debate hasn’t ended, as many jurists, scholars, lawyers, and politicians vehemently disagree about exactly how we are “to form a more perfect Union,” as the Constitution’s Preamble establishes.
Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor once pointed out that the Constitution is “revolutionary” and that “what continues to inspire the world today, is that the Constitution put governance in the hands of the people.” That notion may indeed inspire the world, and rightly so, but it means nothing to Donald Trump.
In fact, it means less than nothing to Trump. If something interferes with Trump’s, then it’s time for that thing to go. Since the Constitution was the legal framework for the presidential election of 2020, which Joe Biden handily won, it’s apparently now time for its “termination,” Trump bellowed to whomever might listen on Truth Social.
In response, White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates issued a statement reminding us that the Constitution “is a sacrosanct document that for over 200 years has guaranteed that freedom and the rule of law prevail in our great country.” He then pointed out that it brings all Americans together “and elected leaders swear to uphold it.”
It is shocking that a former President of the United States, of all people, would call for the termination of the Constitution, and when such a thing happens, it is indeed a sad day for this nation. However, in Trump’s world, nothing is sacrosanct other than the person and name of Trump. So, of course even something as venerated as the Constitution winds up falling into the same category as an unsuspecting tennis court equipment box did a few decades ago.
When reporter Mark Bowden visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago to profile him for Playboy in 1996, he observed Trump questioning a man who was helping redesign the tennis court area about a “little metal box about two feet high and a foot wide with wires and tubes sticking out of it,” where he envisioned a table to go instead. When the man explained the small box is the chiller for the nearby water coolers, Trump proceeded to kick and shove the box until the main ruptured, spraying water and flooding the newly manicured tennis courts.
Whether it’s an equipment box to ensure his water coolers work or the Constitution to ensure his country works, Trump will turn against it if it threatens to oppose his personal plans and desires. Republicans should feel free to ride the escalator down this man-child’s latest rabbit hole at their own risk. Let’s see how many elections it will win them.
Ron Leshnower is a lawyer and the author of several books, including President Trump’s Month