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cover of episode Is Trump testing limits or trying to eliminate them?

Is Trump testing limits or trying to eliminate them?

2025/2/2
logo of podcast Consider This from NPR

Consider This from NPR
AI Deep Dive AI Chapters Transcript
People
C
Caroline Leavitt
J
Jeff Merkley
J
Jim Risch
K
Kenneth Lawandy
K
Kevin Cramer
R
Ronald Prusin
Topics
Jeff Merkley: 我认为特朗普政府正在进行一场史无前例的权力攫取,这严重威胁到美国的宪法制度。他解雇了监察员,违反了法律;他要求政府员工监控同事,打压多元化倡议;他还试图通过冻结联邦贷款和拨款来控制财政权力,这直接挑战了宪法赋予国会的权力。所有这些行为都构成了严重的宪法危机。 Kevin Cramer: 我认为特朗普总统只是在测试他作为总统的权力边界。历届总统都在不同程度上行使过权力,特朗普的做法并非完全没有先例。 Caroline Leavitt: 白宫的立场是,特朗普总统的所有行动都是合法的。我们相信冻结联邦资金以及取消出生公民权的行政命令都在总统的权力范围内。 Jim Risch: 毫无疑问,华盛顿特区正在经历一个不同的时代。 Ronald Prusin: 我同意特朗普政府的行为代表了总统权力的大幅扩张,其程度比以往任何时候都更加剧烈。这不仅仅是权力扩张的‘高潮’,更像是一场‘海啸’。虽然可能存在某种程度的权力测试和形象塑造,但特朗普的个人特质、共和党在国会的权力以及最高法院的裁决等背景因素使得这一情况更加危险。 Kenneth Lawandy: 我认为特朗普政府的行为,虽然表面上看起来是权力扩张,但其根本目的是为了政治利益和信息传递。总统的权力受到其自身能力和行政部门规模的限制,他们不可能面面俱到。虽然他们的行为确实可能导致总统权力的扩张,但他们更关注的是政治影响和信息传递。

Deep Dive

Chapters
Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley highlights President Trump's actions as an authoritarian power grab, citing the firing of inspectors general, memos encouraging spying on colleagues, and a funding freeze. Republicans, however, view these actions differently, with some suggesting Trump is merely testing his authority or that the actions are legal. The differing opinions showcase a constitutional debate.
  • Firing of inspectors general without proper notice
  • Memos encouraging surveillance of government workers
  • Funding freeze impacting loans and grants
  • Legal challenges to Trump's actions
  • Differing interpretations of presidential authority

Shownotes Transcript

Most presidents want as much power as they can get. And it's not unusual to see them claim authority that they don't, in the end, actually have. We saw it just last term, when former President Biden tried to unilaterally forgive hundreds of billions of dollars in federal student loans.Or when he announced, days before leaving office that the 28th Amendment, on gender equality, was now the law of the land. So are the opening moves of Trump's presidency just a spicier version of the standard playbook or an imminent threat to constitutional government as we know it?For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org)Email us at [email protected])Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices)NPR Privacy Policy)