This is why any person seeking any office should know their responsibilities, duties and authorities granted under the Constitution before seeking for people to support them for office and taking an oath before God and the people to uphold that Constitution.

In another pitiful excuse for an excuse for not investigating Hillary Clinton, President Donald Trump claims that he is “frustrated” that he can’t order the Justice Department to investigate her.

“But you know the saddest thing, because I’m the President of the United States I am not supposed to be involved with the Justice Department. I am not supposed to be involved with the FBI,” Trump told WMAL host Larry O’Connor. “I’m not supposed to be doing the kinds of things I would love to be doing and I’m very frustrated by it.”

“Why aren’t they going after Hillary Clinton with her emails and with the dossier, and the kind of money?” Trump added. “Now, maybe they are, but as president, and I think you understand this, as a president you are not supposed to be involved in that process.”

Not supposed to be involved in the Justice Department?  Sir, you are the Justice Department, according to our Constitution!

After this interview with the Washington-area conservative radio host, Trump tweeted out his frustration.

“Donna Brazile just stated the DNC RIGGED the system to illegally steal the Primary from Bernie Sanders. Bought and paid for by Crooked H,” Trump wrote. “This is real collusion and dishonesty. Major violation of Campaign Finance Laws and Money Laundering – where is our Justice Department?”

Donna Brazile just stated the DNC RIGGED the system to illegally steal the Primary from Bernie Sanders. Bought and paid for by Crooked H….

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 3, 2017

OK, so, this is President Trump promising you, America, to instruct his Attorney General to appoint a special investigator to look into Hillary Clinton before the election.

This is him immediately after being elected as president.

https://youtu.be/m0yu_rNp0AI

“I don’t want to hurt them,” Trump told Leslie Stahl of CBS’ 60 Minutes. “I don’t want to hurt them. They’re, they’re good people. I don’t want to hurt them.”

Well, which is it?  Are they “good people” or crooked?  They can’t be both.

Furthermore, Mr. President, the Constitution does not even mention the Justice Department.  It mentions your office as the only thing under the Executive Branch.  Therefore, the buck stops with you.  If you demand that AG Sessions appoint a special investigator in the matter, then he should follow those instructions.  If he does not, he should be removed, plain and simple.

Our Constitution is clear on the duties of the president and it isn’t really any of those things he mentioned in the interview with 60 minutes.  Those things might questionably fall under the authority of Congress in legislation, but the execution of the law falls squarely in the lap of the president.

As we have previously noted, here are the duties of the president under the US Constitution.

Art. I, Sec. 7, cls. 2 & 3, grants to the President the power to approve or veto Bills and Resolutions passed by Congress.

Art. I, Sec. 9, next to last clause, grants to the executive Branch – the Treasury Department – the power to write checks pursuant to Appropriations made by law – i.e., by Congress.

Art. II, Sec. 1, cl.1, vests “executive Power” [see below]in the President.

Art. II, Sec. 1, last clause, sets forth the President’s Oath of Office – to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States”.

Art. II, Sec. 2, cl.1:

• makes the President Commander in Chief of the armed forces when they have been called byCongress into the actual service of the United States.

• authorizes the President to require the principal Officers in the executive Departments to provide written Opinions upon the Duties of their Offices.

• grants the President power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for offenses against the United States, but he can not stop impeachments of any federal judge or federal officer.

Article II, Sec. 2, cl. 2 grants to the President the power:

• to make Treaties – with the advice and consent of the Senate.

• to nominate Ambassadors, other public ministers and Consuls, federal judges, and various other officers – with the advice and consent of the Senate.

Article II, Sec. 2, cl. 3 grants to the President the power to make recess appointments, which expire at the end of Congress’ next session.

Art. II, Sec. 3:

• Imposes the duty on the President to periodically advise Congress on the State of the Union, and authorizes the President to recommend to Congress such measures as he deems wise.

• Authorizes the President, on extraordinary Occasions, to convene one or both houses of Congress [e.g., when he asks Congress to declare War]; and if both houses can not agree on when to adjourn, he is authorized to adjourn them to such time as he deems proper.

• Imposes the duty upon the President to receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers.

• Imposes the duty upon the President to take care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and

• Imposes the duty upon the President to Commission all the Officers of the United States.

Notice that next to the last point in bold type.  It’s part of his oath of office, which is in the Constitution and he must recite as follows:

“I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

OK, look, I’m just being consistent here people.  I did the same thing with Barack Hussein Obama Soetoro Sobarkah.  I thought the same way before I ever began writing about George W. Bush, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan.  The same standard applies no matter the man nor the party, though many will cover for their man when he wears their team’s jersey.

The reality is that Trump should not be frustrated with a travel ban, a lack of direction of the DOJ or foreign policy.  He is endowed with the power of the Executive Branch.  If things are not going as he lawfully directs, then he is the responsible party to make sure he is faithfully executing the laws.

If anyone in this audience wants to comment about what it will do to him politically, let me remind you that is precisely what gets us into trouble, politics.

I’ll end with this because I think the above is clear.

“Duty is ours: consequences are God’s.”― Stonewall Jackson

Stop being frustrated Mr. President and start doing your duty!