Lilly Sundsbak
President-elect Donald Trump said he wouldn’t be a dictator — “except for Day 1.”
He also plans to undertake the largest mass deportation of migrants in U.S. history, reshape the federal government, go after his political enemies and punish journalists.
With a Republican-controlled Congress, Trump can do a lot. The U.S. Supreme Court also significantly expanded presidential powers in July by granting Trump “absolute” immunity from prosecution for actions taken within his core constitutional duties and more limited immunity for other official actions.
So we wanted to know, can he really do that? The Chronicle asked students what questions they had and then researched the answers.
Some were easier than others to answer. For example, Trump has mentioned the idea of running for president a third time more than once. The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution states that ”no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.” Changing the amendment would have to be ratified by a majority of state legislatures. The last amendment to the Constitution was passed in 1992 and addressed financial compensation for Congress.
But in other cases, the answers to questions were more nuanced.
Robert Watkins, associate professor of political science in the School of Communication and Culture, said the Constitution plays a fundamental role in limiting the powers of the presidency by detailing the specific powers and responsibilities of the president as well as ensuring checks and balances with other branches of government.
But what concerns him “is the prospect of a president enabled by a Congress uninterested in checking the power of the president and a Supreme Court that has recently decided that presidents are immune from prosecution for official acts,” Watkins said.
Watkins advised students to “stay informed and be ready to make your voice heard.”
Sharon Bloyd-Peshkin, a professor in the School of Communication and Culture and the founder of Columbia Votes, said that she aims to provide students with access to information and that she will keep guiding them towards reliable sources.
“Read widely the smart people who are trying to analyze how we got here, and take that seriously,” she said. “But also give yourself a break; don’t get so immersed in how terrible it is that you’re paralyzed.”
Bloyd-Peshkin encouraged students to move forward by standing up for what they care about. “Because to me, the answer to despair is always action,” she said.
Junior dance major Elizabeth Moran said that she is worried about women’s rights, especially when it comes to abortion and the prospect of additional restrictions. “I think that’s pretty scary to me,” Moran said.
Gianna Velardi, a sophomore photojournalism major, also was worried about reproductive healthcare. “I would say my biggest concern is honestly Planned Parenthood stuff and birth control because that’s something that personally affects me,” she said.
Jenny Nellis, a senior user experience and interaction design major, was concerned about transgender rights. “All of my closest friends are trans, so the effect that his presidency is going to have on trans healthcare,” Nellis said, about what he was anxious about.
Joey Martinez, a junior film and television major, had several worries about Trump’s second term. “I think my biggest concern with the Trump presidency is his cult fanbase,” he said. “Not only that, but his outright denial of science in cases of climate change.”
First-year graphic design major Brandon Rodeiguez said that he is anxious about Trump’s promise of mass deportation. “Trump could personally affect me in the immigration side of things,” he said, adding that two of his siblings could be at risk of deportation.
Sophomore film major Delilah Luna was worried about birthright citizenship. “I know there’s been talk about potentially removing that, and that puts my citizenship at risk,” she said. “So my biggest concern is potentially losing my citizenship.”
Copy Edited by Trinity Balboa
Additional reporting from Matt Brady, Samantha Ho, Adriah Hedrick, Cin Castellanos, Hunter Warner, Elliot Royce, Sebastian Isett, Anastasia McCarthy, Talia Sprague, Trinity Balboa, Nathan Bieneman, Jaida Raygor and Catherine Pineda.