As Twitchy told you earlier, Donald Trump wondered aloud if Jerome Powell, the Fed chair he handpicked, was a “bigger enemy” than Xi Jinping, the communist president of China:

….My only question is, who is our bigger enemy, Jay Powell or Chairman Xi? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 23, 2019

We also told you about Trump’s totally official proclamation that American companies must cease doing business with China:

Our Country has lost, stupidly, Trillions of Dollars with China over many years. They have stolen our Intellectual Property at a rate of Hundreds of Billions of Dollars a year, & they want to continue. I won’t let that happen! We don’t need China and, frankly, would be far…. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 23, 2019

….better off without them. The vast amounts of money made and stolen by China from the United States, year after year, for decades, will and must STOP. Our great American companies are hereby ordered to immediately start looking for an alternative to China, including bringing.. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 23, 2019

….your companies HOME and making your products in the USA. I will be responding to China’s Tariffs this afternoon. This is a GREAT opportunity for the United States. Also, I am ordering all carriers, including Fed Ex, Amazon, UPS and the Post Office, to SEARCH FOR & REFUSE,…. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 23, 2019

….all deliveries of Fentanyl from China (or anywhere else!). Fentanyl kills 100,000 Americans a year. President Xi said this would stop – it didn’t. Our Economy, because of our gains in the last 2 1/2 years, is MUCH larger than that of China. We will keep it that way! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 23, 2019

We included a few responses to that absurdity in our previous post, but it’s so egregiously terrible, it merits a post of its own.

"Our great American companies are hereby ordered." https://t.co/iTZ4piqn7X — Michael R. Strain (@MichaelRStrain) August 23, 2019

oh no colonel kurtz has gone upriver again https://t.co/be9reU9ytM — your pal andy (@andylevy) August 23, 2019

At what point does the narrative that says “he fights” give way to the more accurate narrative that says “he pitches temper tantrums” or perhaps “he melts down”? https://t.co/6r8RF4HbUI — David French (@DavidAFrench) August 23, 2019

"American companies are hereby ordered”? lol ok https://t.co/Of3ImrooHu — T. Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) August 23, 2019

Guys, as an attorney, I can affirm that this is binding. He added the “hereby” so it’s legit. https://t.co/Mr1HztRpP8 — Casey Mattox (@CaseyMattox_) August 23, 2019

It worked when Michael Scott declared bankruptcy, right? https://t.co/MyQ8mgSvmc — Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) August 23, 2019

Honestly, what is Trump’s thought process here? Does he think that this will help the economy?

Stocks drop after Trump 'orders' US companies to leave China https://t.co/CM8eX4a0Wt pic.twitter.com/vOc7kNayej — New York Post (@nypost) August 23, 2019

And does he honestly think that he’s got the authority to tell companies how they should be run?

On what authority does he “order” companies to do anything? https://t.co/T2nbKqDInj — Brit Hume (@brithume) August 23, 2019

Does he not realize that he isn't a king?

"hereby ordered"???? https://t.co/XMyi25LH6R pic.twitter.com/FLmtCe9ASS — Geo?ge Wept (@GeorgeWept) August 23, 2019

A president who by his own admission keeps hiring incompetents also fantasizes about having much more power than he does. https://t.co/cPadvNolSc — Ramesh Ponnuru (@RameshPonnuru) August 23, 2019

“Ordered” Ok, dude. I know Twitter likes to call you God Emperor but you can’t actually do this. Ain’t our system grand? https://t.co/jAL2hKgTxG — Inez Stepman (@InezFeltscher) August 23, 2019

"…are hereby ordered…" That's not how presidential powers work under the U.S. Constitution. It's not how America works, either. https://t.co/8cdRck13Ks — Walter Olson (@walterolson) August 23, 2019

I am sorry but someone needs to explain to the president the limits to executive powers: “Our great American companies are hereby ordered to immediately start looking for an alternative to China”. #youcantdothat https://t.co/6wUVutxY4z — Veronique de Rugy (@veroderugy) August 23, 2019

What country does this guy think we live in? America doesn’t work that way. We believe in the free market, not the whims of a guy. https://t.co/OfRWp7RXFE — Soren Dayton (@sorendayton) August 23, 2019

You don’t nor should you have the power to ‘order’ American companies what they should or shouldn’t do. https://t.co/TwpnJF4vkp — The Reagan Battalion (@ReaganBattalion) August 23, 2019

Ordered??!! The President must cease acting like an authoritarian. https://t.co/Oroh17RJ51 — Demetrius Minor (@dminor85) August 23, 2019

Good luck with that.

If you're on the right, you should not be cheering on Trump "ordering" companies to do anything. That's statism, and according to your professed principles, you are against that. — Brandon Morse (@TheBrandonMorse) August 23, 2019

Somebody needs to have a serious discussion with Donald Trump.