Cruz: Barack Obama ‘Has Become the President’ that Nixon ‘Wished He Could Be’

HEWITT: “I’m a son of Northeastern Ohio. The McKinley Memorial is located about five miles from where I grew up. And I am offended that the President of the United States thinks he has the authority to rename mountains. I really am. Where does this guy get off? And so what do you think about this?”

CRUZ: “It is the latest manifestation of the megalomaniacal, imperial presidency that we have seen for six and a half years. This administration has been the most lawless administration we have ever seen. And this president routinely disregards the law, disregards the Constitution, disregards the Congress. If he wants to change the name of a mountain, the way to do so is to go to Congress. Indeed, there is legislation pending to do what he just decreed would happen. But he can’t be bothered with Constitutional niceties like actually passing legislation. Instead, he simply decrees. And I’m reminded a few years back, Hugh, when he was asked repeatedly by amnesty advocates to just unilaterally declare executive amnesty. And he responded over and over and over again that he had no authority to do so, that Congress makes the immigration laws, and as president, Constitutionally, he couldn’t change them. Indeed, one of the things Barack Obama said is, “I am not an emperor.” That was his explanation for why he couldn’t unilaterally issue amnesty. And then a few months later, the election was approaching, and I guess he became an emperor, because the order that he had just said he would have had to be an emperor to issue, I mean, I’m reminded, you and I both know Constitutional law professor, Jonathan Turley.”

HEWITT: “Yup.”

CRUZ: “A well-respected law professor. He’s a noted liberal. He voted for Barack Obama in 2008.”

HEWITT: “Man of the left, yeah.”

CRUZ: “Professor Turley has described how President Obama has become the embodiment of the imperial president. Barack Obama has become the president Richard Nixon always wished he could be.”