President Donald Trump's Cabinet members are not obligated to act as a "check" on the president, despite the "insulting" view that Trump's have been doing so, according to The Washington Post's Marc Thiessen.
Theissen, who served as former President George W. Bush's chief speechwriter, wrote an op-ed released Wednesday that criticizes the view that Trump's Cabinet has served as "'adult' supervision" for the president.
"This view is not only insulting, it is fundamentally anti-democratic," Thiessen wrote. "The Constitution places many checks on a president's power, including Congress, an independent judiciary and a free press. It's not the job of Cabinet officials to be a 'check' on the president. Their job is to give the president options so he can make decisions — not restrict choices to constrain him."
Thiessen notes that multiple reports have claimed that Trump became increasingly frustrated with his national security team, which he said failed to provide alternatives to the Iran nuclear deal. He's had similar problems with the Pentagon, which has failed to deliver options on North Korea.
"We have civilian control of the military, and the president is commander in chief. If he wants military options, it is the Pentagon's job to deliver them. That some in the Pentagon don't understand that is a greater threat to our democracy than Trump's temperament," Thiessen wrote.
"Cabinet officers are supposed to give the president options (including some they may disagree with), provide their best advice, and then salute and carry out his orders."
Thiessen concludes that "the president needs a national security team that understands its mission is to constrain [North Korean leader] Kim Jong Un, not Donald Trump."
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