George Conway: Trump's 'King Kong' nickname has come into full fruition
Not for nothing did President Trump’s first White House counsel give him the nickname “King Kong.”
Former White House counsel Donald McGahn, who resisted Trump when he sought to violate the law and sometimes engaged in “epic” “shouting matches” with him, reportedly selected the sobriquet to connote Trump’s “volcanic anger” and “emotional decision-making.”
But as Trump’s behavior this week demonstrates, the moniker fits for another reason as well. It reflects Trump’s desire to escape constraints — in particular, legal constraints. That Kong-like urge was illustrated by two developments: the president’s latest executive clemency spree and his continued attacks against the federal judiciary.
Trump revels in issuing pardons, because that power is essentially absolute. The Constitution sets out no standards for granting pardons. They require no consent from Congress, and courts can’t second-guess them.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/george-conway-trumps-pardons-are-impulsive-expressions-of-his-spite/2020/02/19/399485a0-5363-11ea-929a-64efa7482a77_story.html
