TIME Op-Ed by Scott M. Curran

Scott M. Curran, author of the forthcoming BETTER GOOD: A Simple System for Creating Lasting Impact, writes in TIME:

"The road up to and through the White House is a partisan one. But when a President retires from the Oval Office, their path becomes much less so.

That’s why the institution of the post-presidency has traditionally functioned as a genteel club in which constraints of professional courtesy restrain former presidents from commenting on the work of the current officeholder.

And rightfully so: the underlying assumption has always been that while the sitting president may be doing things differently, he is nonetheless doing his best to serve the American people.

In our current political climate, it’s worth reconsidering that unspoken rule. What happens if the presidential oath of office appears to have been forgotten? If the President ignores the core tenets and basic functions of the job? Or worse, if he is the one flouting the rule of law, undermining democracy, seeming hell-bent on pivoting America’s standing as the world’s leader to the world’s boss and, as of last week, starting a war without congressional approval?

I would argue that we’ve arrived at that moment—and that our former presidents are the people best positioned to provide a credible, experience-based performance review. Who better to speak up with clarity and earned authority if the president fails to uphold his duty to the Constitution?"

Read the full piece at: https://time.com/article/2026/03/10/former-presidents-should-protect-oath-of-office/