GOP Senator on Trump: ‘America doesn’t have kings’

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska defended his opposition to President Donald Trump’s use of executive orders by tweeting: “No president… has unilateral power to rewrite immigration law or to cut taxes or to raise taxes… because America doesn’t have kings.”
• Trump earlier called the Republican senator a “RINO,” or “Republican in name only.”
• Sasse, who said that Twitter is not the place to argue, added that he understood the president was “frustrated” with him.

Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska hit back at President Trump as they continue their dispute over the president’s recent executive actions. 

On Monday, the Republican senator tweeted from his campaign account, began his message, “Mr. President — I understand that you’re mad. A few thoughts.”

“As we’ve discussed before, I don’t think Twitter is the best place to do this. But, since you moved our conversation from private to public, here we are,” Sasse continued.

The senator defended his opposition to four new executive orders signed by the president over the weekend, after Congress was unable to reach an agreement for another coronavirus relief package.

“Now, on the topic that had you mad this weekend: No president — whether named Obama or Trump or Biden or AOC — has unilateral power to rewrite immigration law or to cut taxes or to raise taxes,” Sasse wrote.

“This is because America doesn’t have kings. Under our Constitution, we’re supposed to have public servants — Article I folks who pass laws; an Article II ‘presiding officer’ who executes those laws; and Article III judges who have to put on boring black robes to remind them that they are not activist players like the folks in Articles I or II.”

Trump’s executive orders revive a federal evictions moratorium, extend student loan deferment, create a $400 weekly unemployment supplement and suspend payroll taxes on incomes under $104,000.

The senator also said that he understood Trump was “frustrated” with him because he had not joined the Trump 2020 re-election committee.

Sasse said that he never asked for Trump’s endorsement, nor did he use it in the campaign, adding that “none of [his] disagreements are personal.”

“In fact, you know — from our many conversations, even in the last few weeks — that I care about you personally and have tried to help you repeatedly, even on issues where our prudential judgements [sic] differ widely.”

He signed off using the name Trump had given him, “Sincerely yours, Gym Rat.”

Trump called Sasse a “RINO,” or “Republican in name only,” earlier for criticizing the constitutionality of his executive orders and calling them “unconstitutional slop” over the weekend.

“RINO Ben Sasse, who needed my support and endorsement in order to get the Republican nomination for Senate from the GREAT State of Nebraska, has, now that he’s got it (Thank you President T), gone rogue, again. This foolishness plays right into the hands of the Radical Left Dems!” Trump wrote on Twitter.

Source: New York Post