Hey YouTube, Jim here! Welcome to Top10Archive! Ahh, POTUS. The head of the state and government.
The commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces.
The President of the United States. Whatever you want to call them, it doesn't change the massive
amount of power that lies in their hands. But even the "Most Powerful Person In The World"
has their limitations. Which is exactly what we'll be talking about today. Here are 10 Things
the President of the United States Can’t Do. But before we get started, why not become an
archivist today by clicking that subscribe button and notification bell so you don't miss out on any
future uploads! If you end up enjoying this video, let us know by giving it a thumbs up
and in the comment section, tell us what you think a President shouldn't be able to do!
10. Legalize Marijuana Despite many citizens and
politicians thinking it’s long overdue to legalize marijuana nationwide, the US president does not
have the legal power to make that change with an executive order. Despite candidates supporting
and promising change, what they don't tell you is that they'll run into some hurdles. First,
the DEA has to reclassify marijuana as a substance with medical use and a low risk for abuse,
which is the polar opposite of its current classification. The only way to get legalization
right now is by your state legislating that it is legal for medical and recreational use.
9. Drive The Secret Service still considers
that the US President behind the wheel is a very dangerous thing ever since the assassination
of John F. Kennedy in 1963. In fact, Lyndon Johnson was the last president allowed to drive
on public roads. Not because they’re bad drivers - but because it’s just overall easier to protect
them from people with bad intentions if they’re in the backseat. For security reasons, high profile
government officials and former officials have to rely on their appointed Secret Service teams,
who are trained in “evasive and defensive driving maneuvers.” So basically, the President can only
drive on private property or in a controlled area, like in a golf cart on a golf course.
8. Open Windows For security reasons,
a president is not allowed to open a window at the White House - which are bulletproof - or roll down
the window of their Cadillac One - which are also bulletproof. Former FLOTUS, Michelle Obama, claims
she was a very rare exception one day when her lead agent let her have the windows open on the
way to Camp David for about 5 minutes. 7. Flying Commercially
A lot of what we think a president cannot do, they actually can, albeit with lots of restrictions.
Although flying commercially is absolutely NOT one of them. On January 10th, 2013,
President Barack Obama signed the Former Presidents Protection Act of 2012, reinstating
lifetime Secret Service protection for all former and subsequent presidents. And, for obvious
security reasons, the Secret Service has zero interest in ever flying a president commercially.
6. Take Away Gay Marriage Since 2015, when the Supreme
Court made gay marriage a constitutional right in all 50 states, the LGBTQ community has been wary
of what could happen with following presidents. But the President can’t rescind gay marriage,
not on his own, at least. He’d have to be challenged by the lower courts and taken up
to the Supreme Court for a ruling and, since they often act on precedent, it’s not likely to happen.
5. Declare War By design, how and when we get into war with
other countries is not just up to the president. In fact, it’s solely up to Congress. The
President signs the declaration of war and does nothing else when it comes to permissions, etc.
So whether luckily or unluckily, the President can’t just decide he doesn’t like a country
and declare war on them. 4. Change The Constitution
The Constitution in the United States, for the most part, is what keeps things intact. We are
free to do so many things because of this piece of paper. It is by no means perfect, but it has stood
the test of time because of one single reason: the President can’t change it. The process of changing
the Constitution requires a multi-step process. An amendment must be drafted by Congress and has
to get ⅔ of the vote before being passed onto the states, where it must then get a ¾ majority vote.
3. Chat With Friends Okay, they can talk to their friends,
but it’s not like you can FaceTime POTUS whenever you want. The Secret Service plans,
coordinates, and secures not just the President’s, but also his immediate family’s activities.
Phone and video chat has to be done on a secured line. So, maybe try sending the President’s Secret
Service a Google calendar invite. 2. Go To A Movie
Once you become President, heading to AMC for a flick and some nachos is
out of the question. The film is brought to the White House if the President wishes to see it
and they watch it in the home theater. I’m sure they can probably MTV Cribs that home theater
to make it look as much like a real theatre as possible, but I imagine it’s just not the same.
1. Going Out To Eat Going out to dinner can be accomplished, but only
if the Secret Service has sufficient notice ahead of time so they are able to secure the restaurant.
To top it off, the President isn't allowed to indulge until an official “food taster”
is present to make sure the food is safe to eat. Wow, imagine being the person who has the
responsibility to eat possibly-poisoned. That's a weird game of Russian-roulette if you ask me,
but it would be cool to say you get to eat the President's food before they do.
Thanks for watching! So what do you think any President of the US shouldn’t be able to do?
Sound off in the comments! Who knows, maybe the Secret Service will look over your suggestions!
Here’s something you’re totally permitted to do (and I suppose the President could, too!)
and that’s subscribe, click the bell, and give this video a like
before going on to watch more Top10Archive videos like one of these!