630

U.S. presidents cannot be prosecuted for selling pardons or assassinating political rivals through SEAL Team Six, personal Trump lawyer John Sauer argued Tuesday.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[-] Sanctus@lemmy.world 145 points 10 months ago

Does Trump know this ruling could end with Biden legally ordering his assassination? His opponent is President right now.

[-] formergijoe@lemmy.world 39 points 10 months ago

I think Trump's betting on the Supreme Court dragging their feet long enough to where Dark Brandon cannot Dark Brandon, but Trump can just assassinate anyone who says he can't be a 3rd term president.

[-] Asafum@feddit.nl 19 points 10 months ago

Oh come on now, we all know full well that there is an asterisk somewhere. The fine print reads "Republican presidents only. These special rules don't apply to Democrats, they have harsher rules that aren't written we just call them like referees when we see them."

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[-] AlwaysNowNeverNotMe@kbin.social 116 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Wow Biden should test that on trump, half of Congress, 2/3 of the supreme Court, and this lawyer. Today.

[-] Delphia@lemmy.world 47 points 10 months ago

Oh come on... you're leaving out Eric and Jnr? Thats just asking for a revenge plot reboot.

[-] VikingHippie@lemmy.wtf 9 points 10 months ago

Maybe that's what they want.

load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[-] Garbanzo@lemmy.world 106 points 10 months ago

Sounds like they're telegraphing their plans for day one of Trump's next administration.

[-] troyunrau@lemmy.ca 91 points 10 months ago

When fascists say they're going to do something, it's probably a good idea to believe them. When they say they won't do something, they'll probably do that too.

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] gmtom@lemmy.world 92 points 10 months ago

MAGATS in 2016: "LMAO you're such an over-reacting cry baby, its not like trump is actually a dictator or anything."

MAGATS in 2023: "Trump has the right to assassinate his political rivals without consequence."

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] Crismus@lemmy.world 71 points 10 months ago

Do they understand that the President isn't a King?

[-] originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com 39 points 10 months ago

isnt it weird that trumps lawyers are going along with this...?? like i get that trump is a whacked out of his brain narcissist, but those lawyers have to go home and explain to their spouses that they just argued for King Trump being able to kill people. wtf

[-] CameronDev@programming.dev 27 points 10 months ago

It gets better, they get to go home and explain why they werent paid to argue that he can kill people :D

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] eestileib@sh.itjust.works 13 points 10 months ago

They're married to other maga types.

[-] bedrooms@kbin.social 6 points 10 months ago

I believe these lawyers do it as a show for their potential mob clients. They want to demonstrate that they are loyal to the client not the court, will employ tricks like delay tactics to turn the court in their favor, maximizing the pressure for the opponent to drop the case due to costs mounted by this waste of time at court, etc.

load more comments (4 replies)
[-] ours@lemmy.world 25 points 10 months ago

When Trump was president, he made it well known he was jealous of kings/dictators/autocrats and how they don't need to fuss around too much with pesky concepts like democracy and separation of State powers.

[-] TheJims@lemmy.world 21 points 10 months ago

They want us to believe that he’s infallible… like some kind of deity or messiah it’s just so fucking laughable. He doesn’t even try to argue his innocence anymore

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] deaf_fish@lemm.ee 12 points 10 months ago

Most of them don't understand anything. They are just rooting for their team repeating what they think sounds smart.

A few of them know that a president isn't a king. But they don't want a president. They want a king. And they don't care how many people that hurts. As long as it makes them more powerful in the process. These are the guys that are feeding the "smart" sounding lines to the majority who are just supporting the team.

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] cultsuperstar@lemmy.world 68 points 10 months ago

So Biden could order SEAL Team 6 to assassinate Trump and Biden wouldn't be convicted?

[-] Oderus@lemmy.world 21 points 10 months ago

Biden should order Seal Team 6 to perform a mock execution on Trump to prove a point. Drastic yes but Trump would actually do it.

[-] charonn0@startrek.website 12 points 10 months ago

If you believe Trump, yes.

So in reality, no, not in any sense.

[-] neptune@dmv.social 7 points 10 months ago

I personally propose that Harris initiate the slayings. Just to spice it all up a little bit.

load more comments (2 replies)
[-] Gigan@lemmy.world 50 points 10 months ago

U.S. presidents cannot be prosecuted for selling pardons or assassinating political rivals through SEAL Team Six

If that's true, we should do something about it.

[-] tacosanonymous@lemm.ee 42 points 10 months ago

"Unless they’re impeached and convicted by the Senate."

Bc they know even Dems would convict Joe for murder but they would never do it to one of their own.

GOP is going to coup the shit out of us in the near future.

[-] gregorum@lemm.ee 8 points 10 months ago

the point they’re trying to make here is that, because Trump was acquitted by the Senate, this prosecution would amount to double jeopardy.

[-] tacosanonymous@lemm.ee 9 points 10 months ago

They made that case because he wasn’t convicted. As a lawyer, you play as many cards as you have. They know it's bs, we know it, and the judges know it too.

I’m saying that if the argument worked, hypothetically, they would use it as bitch cudgel and a shield.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[-] benignintervention@lemmy.world 14 points 10 months ago

If I recall correctly, this would be an illegal order in violation of the Title 10 authorities which govern DoD activities if it took place within the borders of the country. I'm not a federal lawyer so I don't know the details, but I believe it prohibits the armed forces operating under Title 10 from performing operations on U.S. soil. Title 18 however governs agencies like the FBI and allows operations within U.S. borders but prohibits foreign operations.

This is all a vague memory from an old lesson, but at first glance the attorney's argument is utter crap. It boils down to "no act of the president can be considered in violation of any law." Not a comforting sentiment, and a dangerous precedent.

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] Carighan@lemmy.world 10 points 10 months ago

Let them assassinate Trump, that is?

[-] chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.com 32 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

“Could a president order SEAL Team Six to assassinate a political rival? That’s an official act–an order to Seal Team Six,” U.S. Circuit Judge Florence Pan asked Sauer.

“He would have to be, and would speedily be, you know, impeached and convicted before the criminal prosecution,” Sauer replied, setting a pre-condition for such prosecution in Pan’s hypothetical.

I wonder if that's true. Would a congress controlled by the Republican party of today really follow through with impeachment for that? I'm sure such a president would have all kinds of excuses as to why they had to do it and how their rival was a threat to national security etc etc that their followers would take at face value.

[-] troglodytis@lemmy.world 17 points 10 months ago

Well, just kill the representatives and senators that won't fall in line. According to Trump, it's legal

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] CileTheSane@lemmy.ca 15 points 10 months ago

“He would have to be, and would speedily be, you know, impeached and convicted before the criminal prosecution,” Sauer replied, setting a pre-condition for such prosecution in Pan’s hypothetical.

Meanwhile, Republicans didn't impeach him because "the courts should decide."

They're trying to create Schrodinger's Dictator.

[-] DoucheBagMcSwag@lemmy.dbzer0.com 14 points 10 months ago

they wouldn't.

And he knows it.

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] ristoril_zip@lemmy.zip 24 points 10 months ago

It's the hand these lawyers have been dealt to try to make this argument fly. They are duty bound to provide the best representation they can for their client, and if somehow this completely bonkers argument wins the day, I think that's pretty much it for American democracy.

Or Biden has all this on standby just in case...

[-] originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com 24 points 10 months ago

my favorite business teacher once told me almost no one has to do anything. we just need to accept the consequences of those actions... breathe/dont breathe.. steal/dont steal.

no one is holding a gun to these lawyers heads, are they? these arent 'public defenders' answering the call of their duty. these are private, douchebag lawyers who have chosen to be douchebags.... correct me if im wrong.

[-] CameronDev@programming.dev 18 points 10 months ago

Yeah, they can drop the client if they wanted to. And they probably should, they arent gonna get paid either way.

load more comments (2 replies)
[-] Bartlebad@lemmy.world 9 points 10 months ago

Same kind of thing was said by my Life Skills teacher in high school.

"The only thing you HAVE to do in life is die."

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] qyron@sopuli.xyz 17 points 10 months ago

You guys are describing the Presidency or a Mafia ring?

[-] gregorum@lemm.ee 11 points 10 months ago
load more comments (1 replies)
[-] AA5B@lemmy.world 15 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

There were some very questionable pardons - where is that investigation?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_granted_executive_clemency_by_Donald_Trump

the vast majority were to persons to whom Trump had a personal or political connection, or persons for whom executive clemency served a political goal.[2][3][5] A significant number had been convicted of fraud or public corruption.[6] The New York Times reported that during the closing days of the Trump presidency, individuals with access to the administration, such as former administration officials, were soliciting fees to lobby for presidential pardons

Huh, he posthumously pardoned Susan B Anthony? I’ll give Trump credit for that.

load more comments (1 replies)
[-] pacology@lemmy.world 15 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

If you are a history buff, read up on the aventine secession on Wikipedia.

The TL;DR is that in 1924 Giacomo Matteotti, a member of the house of representative who was outspoken against Mussolini, was killed and no charges were brought forward. That even is what transition Italy from a semi-working democracy to a one-party dictatorship.

[-] Patches@sh.itjust.works 7 points 10 months ago
[-] EdibleFriend@lemmy.world 12 points 10 months ago

I really hope thats a typo and not some new tik tok shit like unalive

[-] Kiosade@lemmy.ca 7 points 10 months ago

I hate that people are starting to actually use these censor-bypass words in real life… makes adults sound like children!

load more comments (9 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[-] Sendbeer@lemm.ee 14 points 10 months ago

Works for Russia. Window sales going to see a surge if Trump gets elected.

[-] Flex@lemmy.world 10 points 10 months ago

I guess in his mind we should be grateful he didn't assassinate any rivals?

[-] Coreidan@lemmy.world 7 points 10 months ago

Trump isnt saying these things because he believes it. He’s saying these things because he wants his fans to believe him.

Last time he promoted J6. Now he’s promoting assassination.

load more comments
view more: next ›
this post was submitted on 09 Jan 2024
630 points (98.2% liked)

Not The Onion

12355 readers
726 users here now

Welcome

We're not The Onion! Not affiliated with them in any way! Not operated by them in any way! All the news here is real!

The Rules

Posts must be:

  1. Links to news stories from...
  2. ...credible sources, with...
  3. ...their original headlines, that...
  4. ...would make people who see the headline think, “That has got to be a story from The Onion, America’s Finest News Source.”

Comments must abide by the server rules for Lemmy.world and generally abstain from trollish, bigoted, or otherwise disruptive behavior that makes this community less fun for everyone.

And that’s basically it!

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS