Before he even returns to the White House, President-elect Donald Trump is testing the limits of presidential power by playing by his own set of rules. This shouldn't be a surprise. Time and time again, Trump has managed to move the goalposts for what is and isn't acceptable in American politics. Let's start with his plan to buck tradition by installing a loyalist to lead the FBI. This week, FBI Director Christopher Wray announced he will step down before Trump takes office. Not because his term is over, but because Trump said so. Since Watergate, a 10-year term has been in place for the role, specifically to ensure the FBI director is insulated from presidential politics. This rule makes sense if you care about things like holding our leaders to the same legal standard as everyone else. But that didn't stop Trump. This is a preview of Symone Sanders-Townsend's latest article. Read the full column here. For more thought-provoking insights from Michael Steele, Alicia Menendez and Symone Sanders-Townsend, watch "The Weekend" every Saturday and Sunday at 8 a.m. ET on MSNBC. |
