Quotes by Donald Trump on Unilateral Executive Power
#Trump 11/20/14: "Repubs must not allow Pres Obama to subvert the Constitution…because he is unable to negotiate." » #Trump 1/9/19: "I have the absolute right to do national emergency…if I can’t make a deal." Click To Tweet
Quotes by Donald Trump on Unilateral Executive Power
THEN
2012 - 2016

- July 10, 2012
Why is @BarackObama constantly issuing executive orders that are major power grabs of authority? This is the latest
http://t.co/4IVBckTE— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 10, 2012
- Nov 20, 2014
Repubs must not allow Pres Obama to subvert the Constitution of the US for his own benefit & because he is unable to negotiate w/ Congress.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 20, 2014
“He certainly did something that was unconstitutional… I mean, I think certainly he could be impeached and certainly [Republicans] could shut down the government.”
- Nov 2014
Fox News (via CNN), Feb 14, 2019
Trump once called executive action on immigration dangerous, unconstitutional and impeachable
“It is not good because he should be doing other things. But he signs executive orders because he’s given up. He can’t convince anybody to do anything, so he’s given up, and he signs on immigration and on other things.”
- April 18, 2015
C-SPAN, April 18, 2015
— b2savage (@b2savage) August 3, 2020
Republican Leadership Summit, Donald Trump
- June 17, 2015
Fox News (via Archive.org), June 17, 2015
Hannity FOX News June 17, 2015
- Aug 25, 2015
The Hugh Hewitt Show, Aug 25, 2015
TITLE
- Sept 3, 2015
In the C-SPAN video the quote starts at 9:36
C-SPAN, Sept 3, 2015
Presidential Candidate Donald Trump News Conference
- Nov 11, 2015
Washington Post, Feb 15, 2019
Trump’s most hypocritical quotes on unilateral executive action
- Jan 14, 2016
GOP debate in North Charleston, South Carolina
CBS News, Jan 15, 2016
Transcript: Sixth Republican top-tier debate 2016
- March 11, 2016
GOP primary debate in Miami, Floria
New York Times, March 11, 2016
Transcript of the Republican Presidential Debate in Florida
- March 2, 2016
Time, March 2, 2016
Read Donald Trump's Super Tuesday Victory Speech
- March 29, 2016
C-CSPAN, March 29, 2016
Donald Trump Town Hall Meeting in Janesville, Wisconsin
- March 29, 2016
CNN, March 29, 2016
Full Rush Transcript: Donald Trump, CNN Milwaukee Republican Presidential Town Hall
- May 18, 2016
Fox News (via Washington Post), May 19, 2016
Sean Hannity and Donald Trump just leveled a pretty big accusation at Bill Clinton
#DonaldTrump 9/3/15: "Signing executive orders is not the way our country was supposed to be run." » #Trump 2/15/19: "We’re going to be signing today, and registering, national emergency…on the wall, they skimped." Click To Tweet
NOW
2018 - 2020

June 15, 2018 -
Fox & Friends interview; when asked about this quote later Trump said he was 'kidding.'
Politico, June 15, 2018
Trump: I want 'my people' to 'sit up at attention' like in North Korea
Jan 4, 2019 -
White House, Jan 4, 2019
Remarks by President Trump After Meeting with Congressional Leadership on Border Security
Jan 9, 2019 -
White House, Jan 4, 2019
TRUMP: I have the absolute right to do national emergency if I want. REPORTER: What’s your threshold for when you might make that decision? TRUMP: My threshold will be if I can’t make a deal with people that are unreasonable.pic.twitter.com/8LwEQIIwji — JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) January 9, 2019
Remarks by President Trump in Signing Ceremony for S. 1862, the 'Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act'
Jan 9, 2019 -
White House, Jan 4, 2019
Trump says he "may do" national emergency, then immediately undercuts his case for declaring one: "If Chuck & Nancy… if they don't agree to the fact that our country really has problems w/crime, with drugs, with a lot of other things…it's a bad issue for the Democrats." pic.twitter.com/ohNbGAwGyj — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 9, 2019
Remarks by President Trump in Signing Ceremony for S. 1862, the 'Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act'
“In the bill, by the way, [Congress] didn’t even fight us on most of the stuff… The only place they don’t want to give as much money — $1,375,000,000. Sounds like a lot, but it’s not so much… So we have a chance of getting close to $8 billion…
“On the wall, they skimped. So I did — I was successful, in that sense, but I want to do it faster. I could do the wall over a longer period of time. I didn’t need to do this. But I’d rather do it much faster.”
Feb 15, 2019 -
White House, Feb 15, 2019
Remarks by President Trump on the National Security and Humanitarian Crisis on our Southern Border
Feb 22, 2019 -
White House, Feb 22, 2019
Remarks by President Trump Before Meeting with Vice Premier Liu He of the People’s Republic of China
June 2019 -
ABS News, June 16, 2019
Transcript: ABC News' George Stephanopoulos' exclusive interview with President Trump
July 23, 2019 -
Washington Post, July 23, 2019
While bemoaning Mueller probe, Trump falsely says the Constitution gives him 'the right to do whatever I want'
“I have the ultimate authority [to reopen the country during the COVID-19 pandemic]…
“I’m going to put it very simply: The President of the United States has the authority to do what the President has the authority to do, which is very powerful. The President of the United States calls the shots…
“When somebody is the President of the United States, the authority is total, and that’s the way it’s got to be... It’s total. It’s total…
“Make no mistake about it: In the long history of this country, the authority of the President of the United States during national emergencies is unquestionably plenary.”
March 13, 2020 -
White House, April 14, 2020
Remarks by President Trump, Vice President Pence, and Members of the Coronavirus Task Force in Press Briefing
“Now, the states that aren’t — and again, constitutionally, from a federalist standpoint, if I thought there was a problem, if I saw a state with a problem, I would absolutely demand it. But they’re doing great…
“I have great authority if I want to use it. I would rather have the states use it… I have absolute authority to use it. But, so far, our relationship with governors and the job they’re doing, I haven’t had to do it. Would I do it if I saw a state that was out of control and they didn’t have the stay-at-home policy? I would do it in a heartbeat…
“I don’t know that I’ve had a bigger decision than that… I mean, think of that decision. Somebody said, ‘It’s totally up to the President.’ I saw it this morning. It’s totally up — and it is. I don’t know that I’ve had a bigger decision…
“The metrics [that I use make that decision are] right here. (Points to head.) That’s my metrics.”
April 10, 2020 -
White House, April 10, 2020
Remarks by President Trump, Vice President Pence, and Members of the Coronavirus Task Force in Press Briefing
Context
As of January 21, 2019, Donald Trump has issued an average of 46 executive orders per year, a 31% increase over Barack Obama‘s average of 36 per year, according to U.C. Santa Barbara’s American Presidency Project.
Obama’s executive order annual average is the lowest since the 19th century.1The American Presidency Project, Jan 21, 2019
Executive Orders
retrieved 2/23/19
#DonaldTrump 11/11/15: "Executive order — it’s not the way the country is supposed to be run." » #Trump 2/22/19: "We’re going to be signing…national emergency…I didn’t need to do this." Click To Tweet