President Donald Trump speaks to reporters during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on October 21, 2019 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
No Perks, No Cushy Benefits for Twice-Impeached President
Someone who has disgraced the office of the president so maliciously should not reap its amenities for the rest of his life.
How should the nation respond to an ex-president who has incited an insurrection, brought our democracy to the brink of destruction, and left so much pain and suffering in his wake?
In addition to being convicted in the Senate, which could bar him from running for office again, he shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the cushy benefits former presidents receive.
These benefits were created under the Former Presidents' Act of 1958, which was drawn up after Harry Truman told the House Majority Leader that he was going broke.
The benefits in the Former President's Act now include a yearly pension of over $200,000, an annual $1 million travel budget, an annual $500,000 travel budget for spouses, an office "appropriately furnished and equipped," and staff to operate that office--for the rest of the former president's life.
But what about a twice-impeached former president who did everything he could to attack Black and brown communities, and ended his presidency by inciting an insurrection against the United States government?
Call me old-fashioned, but I don't think someone with that record should receive millions in taxpayer-funded benefits at all, let alone every single year for the rest of his life.
Thankfully, it doesn't have to happen: A simple majority in Congress can pass a law barring this ex-president from the normal perks afforded to former presidents. For the sake of the country, Congress must do so.
He should also be barred from receiving national security briefings now that he's left office. There is no reason that someone this dangerous should be privy to the highest levels of intelligence as a private citizen - especially given his looming legal and financial entanglements with foreign entities. He was already a national security risk in office; as a private citizen, there's no telling what he would do with classified information.
Fortunately, it doesn't take an act of Congress to cut off access to briefings: It's up to Joe Biden, and Joe Biden alone. He has the power to prevent his predecessor from receiving any and all national security briefings. For the sake of America and the world, he must do so.
Regardless of how the impeachment trial in the Senate ends, one thing is clear: Someone who has disgraced the office of the president so maliciously should not reap its amenities for the rest of his life.
No cushy benefits. No national security briefings. No perks for the worst president in history.
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This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
How should the nation respond to an ex-president who has incited an insurrection, brought our democracy to the brink of destruction, and left so much pain and suffering in his wake?
In addition to being convicted in the Senate, which could bar him from running for office again, he shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the cushy benefits former presidents receive.
These benefits were created under the Former Presidents' Act of 1958, which was drawn up after Harry Truman told the House Majority Leader that he was going broke.
The benefits in the Former President's Act now include a yearly pension of over $200,000, an annual $1 million travel budget, an annual $500,000 travel budget for spouses, an office "appropriately furnished and equipped," and staff to operate that office--for the rest of the former president's life.
But what about a twice-impeached former president who did everything he could to attack Black and brown communities, and ended his presidency by inciting an insurrection against the United States government?
Call me old-fashioned, but I don't think someone with that record should receive millions in taxpayer-funded benefits at all, let alone every single year for the rest of his life.
Thankfully, it doesn't have to happen: A simple majority in Congress can pass a law barring this ex-president from the normal perks afforded to former presidents. For the sake of the country, Congress must do so.
He should also be barred from receiving national security briefings now that he's left office. There is no reason that someone this dangerous should be privy to the highest levels of intelligence as a private citizen - especially given his looming legal and financial entanglements with foreign entities. He was already a national security risk in office; as a private citizen, there's no telling what he would do with classified information.
Fortunately, it doesn't take an act of Congress to cut off access to briefings: It's up to Joe Biden, and Joe Biden alone. He has the power to prevent his predecessor from receiving any and all national security briefings. For the sake of America and the world, he must do so.
Regardless of how the impeachment trial in the Senate ends, one thing is clear: Someone who has disgraced the office of the president so maliciously should not reap its amenities for the rest of his life.
No cushy benefits. No national security briefings. No perks for the worst president in history.
How should the nation respond to an ex-president who has incited an insurrection, brought our democracy to the brink of destruction, and left so much pain and suffering in his wake?
In addition to being convicted in the Senate, which could bar him from running for office again, he shouldn't be allowed anywhere near the cushy benefits former presidents receive.
These benefits were created under the Former Presidents' Act of 1958, which was drawn up after Harry Truman told the House Majority Leader that he was going broke.
The benefits in the Former President's Act now include a yearly pension of over $200,000, an annual $1 million travel budget, an annual $500,000 travel budget for spouses, an office "appropriately furnished and equipped," and staff to operate that office--for the rest of the former president's life.
But what about a twice-impeached former president who did everything he could to attack Black and brown communities, and ended his presidency by inciting an insurrection against the United States government?
Call me old-fashioned, but I don't think someone with that record should receive millions in taxpayer-funded benefits at all, let alone every single year for the rest of his life.
Thankfully, it doesn't have to happen: A simple majority in Congress can pass a law barring this ex-president from the normal perks afforded to former presidents. For the sake of the country, Congress must do so.
He should also be barred from receiving national security briefings now that he's left office. There is no reason that someone this dangerous should be privy to the highest levels of intelligence as a private citizen - especially given his looming legal and financial entanglements with foreign entities. He was already a national security risk in office; as a private citizen, there's no telling what he would do with classified information.
Fortunately, it doesn't take an act of Congress to cut off access to briefings: It's up to Joe Biden, and Joe Biden alone. He has the power to prevent his predecessor from receiving any and all national security briefings. For the sake of America and the world, he must do so.
Regardless of how the impeachment trial in the Senate ends, one thing is clear: Someone who has disgraced the office of the president so maliciously should not reap its amenities for the rest of his life.
No cushy benefits. No national security briefings. No perks for the worst president in history.