Read this. Trump is claiming inherent power to name an acting head of a Senate confirmed board, where the Vacancies Act doesn’t apply (and there’s no agency succession provision). Forget removal. This is Appointments Clause madness. Means he could name folks to MSPB and NLRB without the Senate. - ThreadSky

ajosephoconnell.bsky.social • 2 days ago

Read this. Trump is claiming inherent power to name an acting head of a Senate confirmed board, where the Vacancies Act doesn’t apply (and there’s no agency succession provision). Forget removal. This is Appointments Clause madness. Means he could name folks to MSPB and NLRB without the Senate.

Reposted from Kyle Cheney

JUST IN: The head of the US African Development Foundation is suing Peter Marocco and DOGE — and he is describing in detail the standoff in which he blocked DOGE from entering the agency's offices.

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Comments

metaphysicalist.bsky.social•1 day ago

A King does not require a House, a Senate, or a Supreme Court. Absolute power cannot be shared (which bodes badly for Musk and Trump's relationship ultimately).

tbapple.bsky.social•2 days ago

Is this how they overturn Marbury v Madison?
#HistoryRhymes

rustymike12.bsky.social•1 day ago

No one has really stopped him

theresistanceat.bsky.social•1 day ago

Stop Bellini Mussolini. 3 special elections 4 control of the House! DONATE to FL- 6 Josh Weil(https://www.joshweil.us), FL-1 Gay Valmont(https://gayforcongress.com) & NY-21 Blake Gendebien(https://blakegendebienforcongress.com) TAKE BACK THE HOUSE!, IMPEACH KRASNOV! Expel Nazi Sycophant Traitors from Congress! ¡PLZ REPOST!

profitgreenly.bsky.social•2 days ago

shernova.bsky.social•1 day ago

And US Marshalls then escorted them in.
Will see lots more of this.

leedrake.bsky.social•1 day ago

I’m worried the goal is just to get 5 out of 6 conservative justices on board. They’ve already shown a willingness, if not eagerness, to vote against the law’s plain text on the 14th (insurrection clause) and immunity.

leedrake.bsky.social•1 day ago

The possibility space is wide for an anti-constitutional court.

mwwaters.bsky.social•2 days ago

The lawyer for DOGE that sanctioned an illegal ultra vires appointment was a Gorsuch clerk, class of 21. https://michigan.law.umich.edu/news/jacob-altik-21-looks-sharpen-his-legal-skills-upcoming-supreme-court-clerkship

jerryedwards.bsky.social•2 days ago

Based on that blurb, it's even worse imo. It appears he's going to be a Gorsuch clerk starting in the fall (2025-26 term).

ajosephoconnell.bsky.social•2 days ago

It’s more of an Article 2 stretch (explosion) than much of what of the Administration is doing.

jdmortenson.bsky.social•2 days ago

💔

janwc.bsky.social•1 day ago

and the Senate will do nothing

martinauger.bsky.social•1 day ago

and I thought there were lots of acronyms in the field of work

jamesdolson.bsky.social•1 day ago

The pathetic thing is that with a SCOTUS this corrupt there will be at least 4 votes for it because their basic constitutional position is GOP president’s are actual kings with divine right.

michaeleherz.bsky.social•2 days ago

If he had inherent authority, would the Vacancies Act be unconstitutional, since it limits that authority with regard to the positions to which it does apply? And is that argument next on the list?

dclawyer317.bsky.social•1 day ago

OLC at least has taken the view that the FVRA is a constitutionally permissible limitation on the President’s temporary appointment authority, but who knows if that will stick. https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/constitutional-response-trumps-firings-inspectors-general

ajosephoconnell.bsky.social•1 day ago

Exactly! That is not going to fly, even with this Court (1792, 1795 Vacancy Acts). If the President claims inherent authority under Article II to name acting officials only when the Vacancies Act does not apply, that assertion depends on a very peculiar & implausible interpretation of Article II.

chrisedelson.bsky.social•1 day ago

thanks for all this--indeed remarkable and reminds me of what to me is one of several puzzling points re: UET. How can one claim the president has plenary control over executive branch officials when the Constitution itself plainly gives Congress at least some role here thru the Appointments Clause?

bradpatrick.bsky.social•1 day ago

This speaks to the fact that there is not a *single* lawyer worth their salt who can tell him anything. "Uh, sir, that's not possible" - something nobody has told him since November, 2024. Every lawyer in this administration is complicit. May scorn and derision follow them forever.

milkweed.bsky.social•1 day ago

These lawyers are scum that must not rehabilitated.

imsoregal.bsky.social•1 day ago

thereallajones.bsky.social•1 day ago

Pawpaw must have a death wish. I've been seeing references to "kinetics" all day. SMH

ditsy.bsky.social•1 day ago

I’m surprised Trump hasn’t issued an Executive Order dismantling both houses of Congress. declaring it a cost effective move.

joe-thoma-iv.bsky.social•2 days ago

If no one in the Senate puts a foot down (hasn't happened yet) and lawsuits that take months to play out are the only recourse, I'd say he effectively does have that power, at least in the short to medium term.

rockwils1.bsky.social•1 day ago

pedsaly.bsky.social•1 day ago

Literally read your post as Vaccines Act which tells you where my head is with this admin….

ajosephoconnell.bsky.social•1 day ago

Vaccines are good. Measles are bad.

bunnyamendt.bsky.social•1 day ago

Robby Soave is a conservative libertarian. Robby 100% disagrees with Progressive Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

bunnyamendt.bsky.social•1 day ago

The Corporate Democrats are all saying the script given to them by The Democratic National Convention. Watch this video. We need to elect Progressive Democrats that don't have corporate donors.
https://youtu.be/AChjbS3QEq0?si=BePjOPNPsFNNp04o

repetitiveuser.bsky.social•1 day ago

And he had total GOP control of the Senate!

ajosephoconnell.bsky.social•1 day ago

At IAF, there were five vacancies out of the nine spots on the Board on January 20. Just nominate (and confirm) five people and you have control over the head.

repetitiveuser.bsky.social•1 day ago

And they can't even bother to do that! Lazy fucks!

audiomagnate.bsky.social•1 day ago

He's a self-proclaimed dictator. He can do whatever he wants until his regime is toppled.

imaginehimhappy.bsky.social•2 days ago

All in the name of eggs and....I can't even make up a second thing

reichlinmelnick.bsky.social•2 days ago

Glad you read the complaint too. When I got to that part I was shocked. They openly admit they have no legal authority to do it but are just going "doesn't matter, we get to do it anyway because the president is a king."

danzyl666.bsky.social•1 day ago

There are so few small-r republicans left in this country. People believe in an airy abstract version of democracy or the constitution but but in the values necessary to maintain a republic. Extreme violence against those who wish to undermine it

cave-malum.bsky.social•2 days ago

Suggested in another post (which I can't find rn) that "us marshals" could be Elon's private security folks recently deputized. Seems to give reason for deputizing Elon's guards?

wheystandard.bsky.social•2 days ago

I mean, “US Marshals” was a thing they threatened, but not a thing they actually used. I don’t think there was anything at all behind that threat, it’s a thing someone vaguely familiar with government would threaten. In reality, they’d need a court order to get Marshals.

ericcolumbus.bsky.social•2 days ago

NYT says the US marshals were indeed deployed
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/06/us/politics/doge-african-aid-agency.html

wheystandard.bsky.social•2 days ago

I don't have a subscription to read that. It wasn't in the USADF lawsuit complaint filed today.

ericcolumbus.bsky.social•2 days ago

Here’s a gift link. Seems to have happened after complaint was filed. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/06/us/politics/doge-african-aid-agency.html?unlocked_article_code=1.2E4.Z0zQ.rAy-u90FaieT&smid=url-share

cave-malum.bsky.social•2 days ago

My goof
https://archive.ph/8S6Ue

reichlinmelnick.bsky.social•2 days ago

It seems to have happened around the same time the complaint was filed this morning.

viscountbosham.bsky.social•2 days ago

Why was Secret Service there?!? What praetorian guard shit is this?

cave-malum.bsky.social•2 days ago

Yep. Raises questions about gov. claims, both Trump and DOJ in court. How to square Musk is advisory only, DOGE mission is to upgrade gov. software, and/or Doggies are agency staff ... having to use police force to gain entrance *might* mean you're not staff.

reichlinmelnick.bsky.social•2 days ago

I haven’t seen anything about that. Seems unlikely but who knows.

cave-malum.bsky.social•2 days ago

Found thread
https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:sgti3jsgu3luif24tokvth3a/post/3ljqwhprxf226

anthonyclark.bsky.social•2 days ago

https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/21/politics/video/musks-personal-bodyguards-deputized-as-marshals-sources

faustbot.bsky.social•2 days ago

That's the thing: they're right.

Rules don't matter. They're just words and have no power alone.

Enforcement matters. If no one stops them or punishes them for breaking the rules, then the rules don't bind them. Same policy as W. Bush's admin.

holgate.permanent.red•1 day ago

Pete Marocco storming federal agencies like he’s back at the Capitol on Jan 6

barbaliciouslove.bsky.social•2 days ago

Yeah, they're going to start doing the propaganda on their right-wing websites to just say he's King. This is all a game to get us to have a civil war. So they can have a theocracy after. Project 2025

kkowboy.bsky.social•1 day ago

I'm sure they're counting more on chipping away at the rules and making everyone obey than a civil war. That would be a bad outcome for both sides but not as bad as them just gradually getting their way...

ajosephoconnell.bsky.social•2 days ago

The government made an argument in the 70s that there was inherent power under Article 2 to appoint actings outside the Vacancies Act. District court thought it was nuts.

summerbreeze0102.bsky.social•2 days ago

I sure wish my senators gave a shit 🤬

They don’t answer calls or emails.

berribaker.bsky.social•2 days ago

Mine answers but with a bunch of MAGA 💩

lmumma.bsky.social•2 days ago

They dont mind calls and emails but showing up in person is a whole different game. In person protesting is a must!

cancelcultureclub.bsky.social•1 day ago

Out MAGA them w/ better conspiracy theories to assert dominance

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