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Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
FARGO (KFGO) โ North Dakota U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer is separating from the president on a number of issues including some executive orders, handling of a former staff member, and pardons in the first days of the second Trump Administration.
Cramer says he has a problem with President Trumpโs executive order Tuesday to freeze federal funding for grants and loans. That order was rescinded Wednesday afternoon, but Cramer says it tests the separation of powers and how much belongs to the executive branch.
โI do not think that the president has the authority โ on his own โ to rescind, or to stop funding that has already passed both authorizing and appropriation committees and signed into law,โ Cramer says.
Cramer says he believes President Trumpโs executive order pausing the TikTok ban was also an overstep because it was a bill passed by Congress, signed by former President Biden, and upheld by the Supreme Court.
Cramer says he disagrees with new National Defense Secretary Pete Hegsethโs notification that former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, retired 4-star Gen. Mark Milley is losing his security clearance and security detail. Hegseth also ordered a review of Milleyโs conduct to determine whether he should be stripped of a star.
Milley served as Chairman for Presidents Trump and Biden, although the former generalโs relationship with Trump became contentious late in the presidentโs first term in office.
Cramer says he doesnโt believe Milley should have lost his security clearance or detail and says he shouldnโt be stripped of a star.
The senator also disagrees with President Trumpโs pardons for people who committed violent crimes at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
โIโve been pretty open that I donโt believe he should have [pardoned them], and I was open about that prior to it,โ Cramer says. โAt the same time, itโs not like they didnโt do any time. I mean, the minimum they did is four years in jail, which is not nothing. Granted, some of them had a 20-year sentence or something like that for some of the violent crimes. [They] probably should have served more of that sentence.โ
Cramer says President Trumpโs pardons, coupled with former President Bidenโs pardons in his last days in office are troublesome.
โWhat I worry about is that pardon authority that two presidents now โ back to back within days of each other โ in my view, have abused a bit,โ Cramer says.
Cramer made the comments during KFGOโs News and Views with Joel Heitkamp. Listen to the full interview here โ
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