Candidates promise a lot of things they can’t possibly deliver. Remember when Kamala Harris promised she’d repeal the GOP tax cuts on her first day in the Oval Office? On his first day as president, Tom Steyer said he’d use “the emergency powers of the presidency” to fight climate change.

Now we have Elizabeth Warren’s plan to cancel all student loan debt, and she can do it without Congress:

Understand this: The Department of Education has broad authority to end the student loan debt crisis. When I'm president, I plan to use that authority. — Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) January 14, 2020

A lot of Democratic presidential candidates are (or were) power tripping, but the Washington Post’s Dave Weigel says that President Trump opened the door to executive overreach, and Joe Biden would be the one to shut it. Biden, who was vice president to Barack “Executive Action” Obama.

One less-discussed difference between Warren/Sanders and Biden is that they’d walk right through the door Trump opened for executive power use. Biden is inclined to close the door and install new locks. https://t.co/aKmD0AXdw3 — Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) January 14, 2020

The door Trump opened?

Dave is doing his absolute best to memory hole Obama bragging about governing with a pen and a phone. https://t.co/njQUzep5w4 — James Hasson (@JamesHasson20) January 14, 2020

You have to since all Trump's worst "abuses" are undoing Obama abuses. — Karl Bielefeldt (@kbielefe) January 14, 2020

Really strange to see them all try to ignore the first black president's legacy. Feels racist. — Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) January 14, 2020

Hey @daveweigel , wouldn't a "pen and phone" circumvent any locked door? — Chris Clinkinbeard (@Clinkin53) January 14, 2020

Trump opened? Does “I’ve got a pen and a phone.” ring any bells? — Paul (@pjb438) January 14, 2020

Pen & phone, buddy. It started long before Trump. — Andrea Somerville (@asomer) January 14, 2020

"Trump opened" Are you honestly this obtuse. — Dunning-Kruger Observer (@GMPublius) January 14, 2020

We remember the phone & the pen. — Anna Coates (@1annanana1) January 14, 2020

Trump didn’t open the door. Mr “I have a phone and a pen” did. — Tejas Conservative (@TXGaryM) January 14, 2020

"I have a phone and a pen"

–The administration when Biden was in office — Christopher R Taylor (@KestrelArts) January 14, 2020

Obama opened that door wide. No one seemed to care when he was using his pen and phone. — PJ Boyle (@PJforAmerica) January 14, 2020

Dude, Obama used executive power with impunity. Trump simply picked up the ball and ran with it. — Nathan George (@ItsNathanGeorge) January 14, 2020

The door Trump opened? Oh, you mean Obama. The mistake is understandable. I too keep trying to forget Obama's presidency. — The Purple Pilgrim (@Purple_Pilgrim8) January 14, 2020

Considering Obama invented nearly all these precedences, I’d love his thoughts on any regrets to use of executive power during his administration and how he would change it… — VictorFiction (@VictorFiction) January 14, 2020

History started in 2017. — Steve Garron (@stevengarron1) January 14, 2020

Need the idiot be reminded that DACA was an illegal executive order? — Rik_N_Backer (@denniswenmouth) January 14, 2020

Governing with a pen and the phone? Damn that Trump.#DAPA #DACA #ParisNonTreaty #IranNonTreaty — "By the book" is a bit of a tell, no? (@FollowFew1) January 14, 2020

Imagine thinking Trump opened this door. And claiming that Obama’s – OBAMA’S!!! – VP is going to close it. I’m old enough to remember Obama murdering an US citizen, and his AG making the argument that the president’s decisions are the same as due process. Weigels gonna Weigel. — Leonidas Xanflorp (@LXanflorp) January 14, 2020

Remember prosecutorial discretion? Good times, my friends. — John Rambo (@JohnJRamboEsq) January 14, 2020

History began in 2017 it appears. — Randy Wortinger (@randicus79) January 14, 2020

Funny seeing people who’ve been in Congress forever run for president so they can bypass Congress to get what they want.

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