Welcome to MAGA Land, NJ
MORRISTOWN – By the standards of Donald Trump, this was a very short speech.
His second inaugural address was less than 30 minutes – a far cry from the 90 minutes he sometimes spent on stage during the campaign.
But the length – or even the substance – was not the main thing.
It was the simple fact that Trump was again president of the United States.
About 75 or so Trump backers congregated inside a local watering hole to witness history, an event put together by Phyllis Florek of Mendham Township and John Sette, a former county Republican chair.
Local GOP officials on hand included Anthony Bucco, the Senate Minority Leader, Sheriff James Gannon, Surrogate Heather Darling and County Commissioners Deborah Smith and Tom Mastrangelo.
As is the norm, many wore some type of Trump-related clothing: a shirt, a hat, a jacket.
As the clock ticked to noon, the crowd grew silent with anticipation.
“This is it,” someone shouted as Trump moved forward to take the oath.
Then, there were cheers all around as all watched the traditional, but still moving, 21-gun salute.
Trump immediately talked about a “golden age” of America, which he came back to more than once. Trump’s tendency to repeat himself was one pattern that his second inaugural address maintained.
Back eight years ago, Trump’s spoke of “American carnage” and how he was the only one who could fix it.
Monday’s speech was not as dark, but a similar theme emerged.
The new president talked about a “radical” and “corrupt” system.
He said inmates and the mentally ill from foreign shores were coming to the United States.
He said our education system is awful and that no one is safe.
But now, a new time has arrived.
He called it “Liberation Day!”
Reinforcing campaign themes, Trump said he would expel the undocumented, end electric vehicle mandates and “drill, baby drill.”
We digress. The term, “drill, baby drill,” always gets loud applause from Republicans, a response that is more emotional than anything else. Consider that the United States last year produced more oil than ever before – an average of 13.2 million barrels a day, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. So a lot of people are drilling now.
Trump did not mention pardoning Jan. 6 defendants, as he said he would do, or his rather quixotic desire to buy Greenland.
But he did talk about the U.S. taking back the Panama Canal and in line with Trump’s notion of “manifest destiny,” calling it the Gulf of America instead of the Gulf of Mexico.
Inaugural addresses are important – some are even memorable.
But the real work begins afterwards – like now.
At least someone in the crowd was thinking like that. Trump had hardly been sworn-in when someone yelled:
“How about the executive orders?”
New Jersey will never be MAGA land.
We will not capitulate to the will of a traitor.
These are going to be a long four years…..
Republican voter registration is outpacing Democrats in New Jersey! MAGA is coming to New Jersey!
Keep dreaming, Henry.
Ahhh, the Democrat sore losers out in force again!!!! Reality is setting in. The adults are back in charge of the government after the brain-addled, dementia President and his staff of young inexperienced Marxists almost ruined this country. New Jersey Republican voters increased by huge numbers across the state. Even heavy Democrat Newark saw an increase in 15,000 Republican voters. In Passaic County, Clifton and Passaic went for Trump, while Paterson voted for Harris, but there was over a 10,000 Republican voter increase in the city. Next election for Governor will show the Republicans coming out in full force and will sweep away the Democrat trash.
More oil may have been pumped under Biden-Harris Administration, but almost all of it went to foreign overseas nations (read: Communist China as payoff from Biden for the Chinese filling his family’s bank accounts). If we pumped so much oil, why did we have to buy dirty oil from Venezuela and Saudi Arabia; and even Russia??? Why did Biden sell off almost ALL of the Strategic Oil Reserves (“SOR”) to Communist China???
There is NO quixotic desire to buy Greenland. Trump has said he would support them leaving the clutches of Denmark and build their infrastructure and offer military protection for the mining, drilling and other mineral rights. He said it would make Greenland very rich, and turn it into a tourist destination like Iceland.
Taking back Panama Canal is a national security issue. Democrat President Jimmy Carter gave away the Panama Canal for $1.00 in 1999. This after we spent what would be $15 BILLION DOLLARS in today’s money, and cost 35,000 American lives. The deal was that Panama wouldn’t charge the U.S. for the Canal’s use, and they would not turn it over to foreign adversaries. Panama breached the contract those 2 times and more. So, we’re taking it back.
As for changing the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America, Trump is playing 4-D chess while the Democrats and everyone else is playing checkers. Biden signed a last minute Executive Order imposing a moratorium on drilling for oil in the Gulf. Biden did this to obstruct President Trump’s plan to “drill, baby, drill”. So, Trump changed the name of the geography to Gulf of America to bypass the EOs in the Gulf of MEXICO.
But, then again, Democrats (Communists) and their complicit propaganda media can’t even think that far ahead because they don’t have the mental capacity or smarts.
As for the Pre-emptive Pardons signed by Biden, constitutional scholars and constitutional lawyers are saying it cannot be done. Under the U.S. Constitution, Article 2, Section 2, clause 1, which gives the President the power to Pardon, the pardon power is only for offenses against the United States, where charges, trials, and convictions have occurred. The pardon power can only be used AFTER COMMISSION of the offense.
In the 1866 U.S. Supreme Court case Ex parte Garland, 71 U.S. 333, 380 the Supreme Court indicated that the power may be exercised at any time AFTER [an offense’s] commission, reflecting that the President MAY NOT PREEMPTIVELY immunize future criminal conduct.
In Schick v. Reed, 419 U.S. 256, 267 (1974), the Court recognized that an exercise of clemency may include any condition which does not otherwise offend the Constitution, suggesting that the President may not make clemency subject to a condition that is prohibited by another constitutional provision.
In Burdick v. United States, 236 U.S. 79, 94 (1915), (“[A pardon] carries an imputation of guilt; acceptance a confession of it”). A pardoned offense could still be considered as a circumstance of aggravation under a state habitual-offender law.
A full pardon granted by the President and accepted by its subject prevents or removes any of the penalties and disabilities consequent UPON CONVICTION!!! So, Joe Biden COULD NOT PREEMPTIVELY PARDON without any Conviction!!!!!