Presidential Overreach Quotes

The 22nd Amendment limiting a president to two terms is an act of retroactive vindictiveness rather than judicious thinking about the institutions of the republic.

This worthy President thinks that because he has scalped Indians and imprisoned judges, he is to have his own way with the Bank. He is mistaken.

In my opinion eight years as president is enough and sometimes too much for any man to serve in that capacity.

Thanks to presidential immunity and executive control of the Justice Department, there are no consequences to executive branch lawbreaking. And when it comes to presidential lawbreaking, the sitting president could literally strangle someone to death on national television and meet with no consequences.

The Mexican-American War had been unnecessarily and unconstitutionally begun by the President of the United States

Making recess appointments when the Senate isn't in recess is neither rational nor moderate. It's a raw misuse of executive power by a president whose love of government is his most vulnerable spot with the electorate.

If Trump wants to corruptly direct the conduct of an investigation in order to out an FBI source who was helping our government investigate Russian interference in our electoral processes, well, Article II of the Constitution begins with these terrifying words: 'The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.'

The President [Theodore Roosevelt] has as much use for the Constitution as a tom cat has for a marriage license.

For presidential power to meaningfully expand, it is not enough for a president to simply make a power grab.

When, President Obama, do you mean to cease abusing our patience? How long is that madness of yours still to mock us? When is there to be an end to that unbridled audacity of yours swaggering about as it does now?

Power is poison. Its effect on Presidents had always been tragic.

The President seems to extend executive privilege way out past the atmosphere. What he says is executive privilege is nothing but executive poppycock.

In going too far, they [presidents] have taken away the individual rights of American citizens.

Trump's attacks against the judiciary reflect his view that only he should be able to decide what he can and cannot do.

The danger of undue power in the President is not, to me, formidable.

President Obama made far-reaching, unilateral changes to our nation's immigration policy despite saying on over 22 different occasions that he did not have the authority to do so.

President Bush has asserted the right to wiretap and eavesdrop on any American without a warrant in the name of fighting terrorism. He has asserted presidential power beyond stated constitutional rights, and there is no Republican gutsy enough to call his hand.

Obama isn't just too big to fail. He's too big to know. Obama is so vital to the country and to the world, he must be kept out of the loop in order to save him from his failed presidency.

Our intelligence agencies have vast powers, and Obama used them illegally to spy on political opponents. This can't be allowed to stand.

You have an imperial presidency that makes Richard Nixon look like a boy scout.

I believe that Donald Trump in the White House would be more abusive to the Constitution than Barack Obama, and that's saying a lot.

The great problem is how to discharge presidents who have outlived their usefulness to the country

Presidents tend to tinker, you know, and mess everything up.

After the 1960s and '70s, there were real doubts about whether a mortal man could handle the country's highest office. It had destroyed Johnson, corrupted Nixon, and overwhelmed Ford and Carter.

We have the President assuming powers that are never going to end.