Biden and Trump Deserve Americans’ Scorn

They both acted disgracefully on pardons and constitutional amendments.

Is it too much for Americans to expect their presidents to at least give the old college try on the rule of law and upholding their oath to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States?”

Apparently, it is.

Joe Biden left office Monday after declaring that a nonexistent 28^th Amendment is the “law of the land” and after issuing a flurry of expansive pardons of politicians and his own family members for crimes they may or may not have committed. Must be nice. Great precedent.

Trump came into office Monday with an unconstitutional executive order ending birthright citizenship that is plainly protected in the 14^th Amendment and with mass pardons of even the worst, most violent offenders who attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Who says crime doesn’t pay? Just make sure you support the right leader when you attack cops.

For regular, law-abiding Americans who pay their taxes, do right by their families, and don’t commit crimes, the office of the presidency has become a lawless and shameful joke. Doesn’t matter which party controls the White House, their methods are the same: We will do whatever we want in pursuit of our partisan goals, and “nothing will stand in our way.”

Partisan promoters of both Biden and Trump love cheering on their lawlessness on these matters and pretending it’s clever or in the service of their manifest righteousness. But it’s just reckless behavior that undermines the country’s constitutional foundations, and counteracts perfectly reasonable and legal actions they take in other areas.

Elections have consequences. And the consequences of the past two elections are that we ended up with rogue presidents from both parties who ignore valid congressional laws and don’t fully accept that the courts and Constitution constrain their behavior.

For people who aren’t Democratic or Republican partisans—or head-in-the-sand defenders of Biden or Trump—there aren’t really any good options. You don’t get to choose another party for office. The two parties make sure you don’t get another real choice. Voicing your opposition to malign acts by the government also doesn’t seem to matter one lick. Presidents do whatever they want these days and aren’t bothered by public opinion.

The only sane and principled thing to do if you’re not a partisan hack is to reject dishonest and illegal presidential actions from either party—and find different avenues for citizenship going forward. National politics is utterly broken, as most Americans now recognize. Work with people and officials locally and at the state level. Support non-traditional candidates and parties that uphold the Constitution. Or skip electoral politics altogether and focus on other things in life. Volunteer in schools and places of worship. Tutor or mentor kids who could use a supporting hand in life. Spend some time with elderly people who could use companionship. Spend some other time with loving dogs and cats dumped off at the animal rescue center. Read up on the country’s founding and the rationales for limited and checked presidential power in the U.S. Constitution.

Americans and their governing institutions don’t seem to have control over their presidents anymore. Partisans on both sides don’t want to—they like unrestrained executive power aimed at their opponents and in the service of narrow ideological goals.

There’s not a whole lot any one person can do to stop it. So, ethical citizens should seek to be better in their own lives than their political leaders and help the country live up to its animating values. Somebody’s got to do it.