Yeah, we know. I am particularly interested in seeing if he will go the extra mile and try the self-pardon, though. If he does that, and the courts uphold it, then we know we’ve officially crossed the line to dictatorship.
If he doesn’t, it will only be because people tell him the courts won’t back him on that.
OTOH, there is always the tiny, tiny chance that the self-pardon is a step too far, and convince Republicans to finally impeach his ass.
Don’t be so sure. It is well documented that the Founders felt that no person should be their own judge. But, more importantly, letting the President self-pardon gives that person an enormous advantage that the other branches can’t put in check. It subordinates the other branches.
Congress and the courts will, of course, go along with Trump’s priorities. But will they go along with diminishing their own power? Recall that even with the immunity decision, the courts left to themselves what is covered under that, so still kept some power in all that.
That would require Trump to trust Vance. The absolute split second that Trump is out of power, everyone will turn on him. There’s no such thing as loyalty, just self interest.
I suspect he doesn’t pardon himself day-1. No matter how he leaves office, there will be warning (or he’ll be dead). He’ll pardon himself as late as possible so he can tell people that he hasn’t (yet). There’s zero benefit to doing it early.
That said, he’s really fucking stupid, so I’m tired of predicting what he’ll do.
It’s not like he can be impeached and most of the cases will pause by default as he’s a sitting president. If any don’t he’ll have a tame Attorney General to kill them for him. State level charges could have a theoretical shot, but what state will take that fight?
The window to hold him accountable was 2020-2024 and the people responsible dropped the ball, sometimes with obvious intention, sometimes from naivité or incompetence
The problem as usual is that the Democrats bring Debate Club weapons to a knife fight
Yeah, we know. I am particularly interested in seeing if he will go the extra mile and try the self-pardon, though. If he does that, and the courts uphold it, then we know we’ve officially crossed the line to dictatorship.
If he doesn’t, it will only be because people tell him the courts won’t back him on that.
OTOH, there is always the tiny, tiny chance that the self-pardon is a step too far, and convince Republicans to finally impeach his ass.
There is no way a self pardon will be the line too far. Democrats expect it and the Republican electorate would cheer him on.
If he crosses a line it will be fucking with other Republican’s money.
We already know that.
Don’t be so sure. It is well documented that the Founders felt that no person should be their own judge. But, more importantly, letting the President self-pardon gives that person an enormous advantage that the other branches can’t put in check. It subordinates the other branches.
Congress and the courts will, of course, go along with Trump’s priorities. But will they go along with diminishing their own power? Recall that even with the immunity decision, the courts left to themselves what is covered under that, so still kept some power in all that.
SCOTUS: Hold my beer
Pardons are an official act.
But a self-pardon can be argued to contradict other parts of the Constitution. It definitely is contrary to the founder’s intent.
Pretty sure absolute criminal immunity for the president would be as well.
Haha, good one.
let’s hope the dems get the house and a supermajority in the senate in the midterms (they won’t)
Right? Dude sends a crowd of rowdies into the Capitol building to hang the vice president for not lying but, self-pardoning is too far
Plan B or maybe it is plan A is do a money grab, hand over the presidency to Vance, and have Vance do all the pardons, and he walks free.
That would require Trump to trust Vance. The absolute split second that Trump is out of power, everyone will turn on him. There’s no such thing as loyalty, just self interest.
Let’s all meet back here in a year and see how it all played out.
kinda makes me wish that !RemindMe bot was a thing here.
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lol the Rs will never impeach dear leader man
I suspect he doesn’t pardon himself day-1. No matter how he leaves office, there will be warning (or he’ll be dead). He’ll pardon himself as late as possible so he can tell people that he hasn’t (yet). There’s zero benefit to doing it early.
That said, he’s really fucking stupid, so I’m tired of predicting what he’ll do.
Does he need to yet?
It’s not like he can be impeached and most of the cases will pause by default as he’s a sitting president. If any don’t he’ll have a tame Attorney General to kill them for him. State level charges could have a theoretical shot, but what state will take that fight?
The window to hold him accountable was 2020-2024 and the people responsible dropped the ball, sometimes with obvious intention, sometimes from naivité or incompetence
The problem as usual is that the Democrats bring Debate Club weapons to a knife fight