Time For Congress To Censure Trump

The honeymoon is over.

The Trump train is dangerously close to derailing. And if our elected congressional leaders, Republicans and Democrats alike, don't forcefully apply the brakes soon, America as we know it, could be doomed.

Right now, the Republican Party leadership must stop giving Trump a free pass in light of the President's increasing reckless and dangerous decisions.

The new Tweeter-in-Cheat signs executive orders the way he impulsively fires off angry tweets, with minimal forethought and abundant malice. 

And with each passing day, he's proving himself to be not only an immensely unfit commander in chief, but a severe and mounting threat to this nation.

Insipid lies. Baseless claims of mass illegal alien voter fraud. A refugee ban that disvriminates and has wreaked havoc in the lives of the law abiding.

Bumping the Joint Chiefs of Staff chair and Director of National Intelligence from the National Security Council to make room for disreputable, alarmist advisers with anti-Democratic sympathies.

A tweet hinting of "World War III"?

What will it take for Congress as a whole to seriously consider Trump as a suspect actor, if not an outright state enemy?

First and foremost, Congress needs to insist President Trump reverse his hurried anti-American executive order banning refugees and immigrants from seven Muslim majority countries.

Secondly, it's time to discipline the President whose juvenile antics is severely undermining our country's Democratic principles and it's reputation around the world.

Trump's actions already warrant impeachment.

But considering the unlikelihood of that so early in his term, and given his cozy relationship with Republican leaders, impeachment presently seems like a long shot.

But if our legislative representatives in the House and Senate have the guts, they could issue him a formal rebuke by censure -- and tell him to quit  acting up and working to destabilize our country.

Censure, in part, is defined as a "formal, and public, group condemnation" for elected leaders "whose actions run counter to the group's acceptable standards for individual behavior."

From the start, just 10 days ago, Trump's presidency has been anything but "acceptable."

Congress can't sit idly by.

Censure is further described as a "process of Congressional reprimand -- the political equivalent of a strongly worded letter."

President Andrew Jackson was censured by a Wig Party Senate for "withholding documents."

If Congress isn't ready to start impeachment, it has the means to give Trump a heavier slap on the wrist than typical.

Granted, there may be an inherent risk that Trump wouldn't accept a reprimand so graciously -- and then go off more half-cocked than ever. Given his erratic behavior to date, that's a valid concern.

But how else do we reel in Trump's recklessness?

We can't wait. We can't wait to see which nuclear-armed nation he might anger later this afternoon or later this week with a childish tweet. 

We can't wait for a secret bombing mission to go awry.

Just give him time they say? For what? To destroy this country by recklessly running roughshod over our core American values? To risk war? To dismantle the First Amendment?

The President's actions has the whole world on edge. He clearly doesn't appear to be in control of himself, let alone this country. 

And it's the Congress' job to intervene to protect our country and its citizens from what by all accounts is a serious looming threat.

The writing has been on the wall for some time.

Employing the censure could lay the groundwork for impeachment. At this point, censuring the President is the least our Congress could do to protect life, liberty and the American way.