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Defender in Chief: Donald Trump's Fight for Presidential Power by [John Yoo]

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John Yoo

Defender in Chief: Donald Trump's Fight for Presidential Power Kindle Edition

by John Yoo (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

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In Defender in Chief, celebrated constitutional scholar John Yoo makes a provocative case against Donald Trump's alleged disruption of constitutional rules and norms.

Donald Trump isn't shredding the Constitution—he's its greatest defender.

Ask any liberal—and many moderate conservatives—and they'll tell you that Donald Trump is a threat to the rule of law and the U.S. Constitution. Mainstream media outlets have reported fresh examples of alleged executive overreach or authoritarian White House decisions nearly every day of his presidency. In the 2020 primaries, the candidates have rushed to accuse Trump of destroying our democracy and jeopardizing our nation's very existence.

Yoo argues that this charge has things exactly backwards. Far from considering Trump an inherent threat to our nation's founding principles, Yoo convincingly argues that Washington, Jefferson, Madison and Hamilton would have seen Trump as returning to their vision of presidential power, even at his most controversial. It is instead liberal opponents who would overthrow existing constitutional understanding in order to unseat Trump, but in getting their man would inflict permanent damage on the office of the presidency, the most important office in our constitutional system and the world.

This provocative and engaging work is a compelling defense of an embattled president's ideas and actions.

Length: 305 pages	Word Wise: Enabled	Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled
Page Flip: Enabled

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Donald Trump’s critics claim that he ignores the Constitution. But in a persuasive analysis, constitutional scholar John Yoo argues just the opposite. Trump may be an unlikely constitutionalist, but he certainly has done more than recent presidents in restoring executive powers as originally envisioned by the Founders from insidious encroachment by a progressive Congress and courts...An engaging, completely original, and superbly researched and argued analysis from one of America’s top legal minds that elevates the debate through Yoo’s mastery of history, jurisprudence, and dispassionate scholarship.”
––Victor Davis Hanson, the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, author of The Case for Trump

“Dreaded as a destructive demagogue, Donald Trump turns out to be a historically significant defender of the American constitutional order, of the Framers’ unique vision of executive vigor mindful of the law’s limits. No one could better elucidate this unlikely and welcome development than John Yoo, a Trump-skeptic and vitally important scholar of presidential power in our constitutional order. Defender in Chief is timely, brilliantly argued, and ultimately persuasive.”
––Andrew C. McCarthy, New York Times bestselling author and National Review contributing editor

“Why defend presidential power? Because, as counterintuitive as it might seem, energy in the executive actually advances individual freedom by curbing the threats of legislative and bureaucratic tyranny. The Founders understood this, and John Yoo’s Defender in Chief is an important reminder of the delicate balance of power our Constitution strikes.”
––Leonard Leo, co-chairman of the board of directors of the Federalist Society

--This text refers to the hardcover edition.

About the Author

JOHN YOO is one of America's best-known conservative constitutional scholars. He is currently the Emanuel S. Heller Professor of Law at the University of California, Berkeley, a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. Previously, he served as an official in the U.S. Justice Department during the George W. Bush administration, general counsel of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, and as a law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. He has written several books on American foreign policy and the power of the executive branch--including The Powers of War and Peace and Crisis and Command--and is a frequent guest on television programs. --This text refers to the hardcover edition.

Product details

File size : 2650 KB
Print length : 305 pages
Publication date : July 28, 2020
Publisher : All Points Books (July 28, 2020)
Word Wise : Enabled
Language: : English
ASIN : B0818NBZXD
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Enabled
Lending : Not Enabled

Best Sellers Rank: #48,186 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #12 in Constitutional Law (Kindle Store)
- #59 in General Constitutional Law
- #116 in Federal Government

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Connie Fischer

Quite informative

Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2020

At one time, the author admits to being a “Never Trump” person, but realized how wrong he was. Trump changed things from the formality of the presidency to an honest and open scenario.

When he ran for office, he was not a career politician, but a savvy businessman. Our country is like a business and President Trump felt he could do a better job if it was run that way. Career politicians were shocked at this and have done all they can to get rid of him. Their good-old-boy way of doing things did not set well with the new President and the liberal politicians were furious. The Democrats' fury at Trump winning quickly resulted in their many ways to try and get rid of him, none of which worked. They also tried to have him impeached but that failed too. They tried to block his nominee to the Supreme Court via a flimsy and scandalous accusation of the nominee. This too failed.

President Trump has added many jobs; built a wall against illegal immigrants; and has seen the stock market soar to some of its highest days. He has let other countries know that they cannot run over the United States and has taken steps in that direction.

He has faced a lot of opposition from the liberal community but has still managed to get many things done. Even with COVID and the riots, he has stayed calm and has done his best to keep America safe.

I enjoyed this book as it is a collection of items that President Trump has faced and his strength in not giving into the pressures constantly put upon him. I support him completely and hope to see him reelected in 2020.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

103 people found this helpful

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RPG

the Constitution requires that the president have dictatorial powers, like Putin

Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2020

You may know John Yoo as the person who argued that the US has a right to torture. Opponents have said that this violates the rights of the detainees, but what about the rights of the torturers, huh, huh? They didn't think of that.

This book argues that Presidential power "actually advances individual freedom by curbing the threats of legislative...tyranny". Indeed the President is elected by popular vote (popular vote of members of the electoral college, duh), whereas senators and congresspeople don't even have an electoral college---sad! Hence presidential tyranny is much more constitutional than legislative tyranny. Why not get the tyranny from a person who is required to have been born in the USA (or Panama), rather than from legislators who have all sorts of national origins? Makes a lot of sense. John Yoo for President in 2024! (Some say he was born in S. Korea, but I am sure that is fake news. )

37 people found this helpful

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Rags

Yoo cherry-picks historical evidence to support his arguments

Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2020

Yoo (coauthor, Striking Power), a UC Berkeley law professor and former justice department official under George W. Bush, casts Donald Trump as a vigorous defender of “the constitutional order” in this sober-minded yet myopic account. Walking back his own previous warnings that the Trump administration represented “executive power run amok,” Yoo argues that Trump’s firing of FBI director James Comey, successful pushback against the special counsel inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 election and impeachment over the Ukraine affair, and “conservative makeover of the federal courts,” are all in line with the Framers’ vision of an “energetic unitary executive” with the authority to act quickly and decisively in matters of national interest while resisting legislative and judicial branch overreach. Yoo critiques Trump’s antiimmigration and protectionist trade policies, yet defends his legal right to enact them, and accuses Democratic lawmakers of posing the graver threat to the Constitution by calling for universal health care, wealth taxes, the elimination of the Electoral College, and the granting of “vast new powers” to “unaccountable” government agencies. Yoo cherry-picks historical evidence to support his arguments, treats the question of Trump’s actual motives as unimportant, and presents debatable claims, including that the post–Great Recession economy had recovered “listlessly” before Trump took office, as fact. This one-sided defense of the Trump presidency won’t change minds.

35 people found this helpful

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MAYLIN

Love our defender in chief

Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2020

I’m still reading it but is basically pointing out to the facts that are happening and how our president has been standing strong

38 people found this helpful

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Mark Torosian

Extremely well written and smart!

Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2020

Verified Purchase

Was doing research on the Electoral College which led me to Mr. Yoo's book. It articulates what I have read in several other books in a much clearer way with great insight. His insights on Mr. Trump's presidency are accurate and fair. Mr. Trump is actually more of a constitutional defender than he gets credit for. Excellent book!!

15 people found this helpful

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Jim Richardson

Constitutional overview.

Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2020

Verified Purchase

Excellent synopsis and summary of the past three years. Includes numerous quotes from the Federalist Papers and addresses the serious threats to the power of the Presidency the deep state and members of both parties have attempted during this administration. Very good history lesson as well.

10 people found this helpful

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BA Taylor

A fascinating walk through the Constitution irrespective of what you think of Trump

Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2020

Verified Purchase

A thought provoking read by Yoo on the powers of the executive with both historical and current context. WARNING - if you are afflicted with TDS, you probably won't enjoy it, even with Yoo's occasional shots at Trump. While a difficult and somewhat flawed read, it is a fascinating historical and legal look at the founders thinking and influencers, with a focus on the Presidency. Yoo references not only the founders and the Federalist papers, but the impact of Montesquieu, Locke, and other enlightenment thinkers on the development of the Constitution, as well as some of the discussions and trade-offs in the final definition of key elements like the Electoral College. Yoo doesn't deliver perfection or prediction (he misses the outcomes of some cases settled after publishing) but it is worth your time.

2 people found this helpful

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John T Umina

Great book to learn about the constitution

Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2020

Verified Purchase

The author gives a very detailed explanation of why certain items were put in the constitution and bill of rights. He also explains how the politicians are subverting the founders intentions.

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