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Trump Says America Is Over 'As We Know It' if He Can't Do Crimes While in Office (www.rollingstone.com)

submitted 9 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/politics@lemmy.world

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The former president — who is facing a mountain of legal woes — is trying to win back the White House on the idea that he should be above the law

Donald Trump isn’t happy that judges on a Washington, D.C., appeals court ruled that he’s not protected from prosecution in the Justice Department’s election interference case against him. The former president has long been claiming he should be immune from criminal repercussions for anything he did while in office — including conspiring to overturn the democratic process — and on Wednesday he posted to Truth Social that a president’s job is so contingent on their ability to commit crimes that it would mark the “end” of “our Country, as we know it,” if they are not afforded that right.

“If a President does not have Immunity, the Opposing Party, during his/her term in Office, can extort and blackmail the President by saying that, ‘if you don’t give us everything we want, we will Indict you for things you did while in Office,’ even if everything done was totally Legal and Appropriate,” Trump wrote, adding that “Obama, Bush, and soon, Crooked Joe Biden, would all be in PRISON. Protect Presidential Immunity. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

...

There’s no evidence that Bush, Obama, or Biden committed crimes while in office, but Trump is under heavy legal scrutiny for an array of potential crimes — most of them tied to his effort to remain in office despite losing to Biden. Trump tried to get the Justice Department’s case against him thrown out last year, alleging he could do no wrong because he was the president. Judge Tanya Chutkan shot down the bid, and Trump appealed, sending the case to the D.C. appeals court. In a hearing last month, Trump’s lawyers argued that immunity should go so far as to protect a president from prosecution even if they were to order SEAL Team 6 to assassinate a political rival.

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[-] dhork@lemmy.world 188 points 9 months ago

In Donald Trump's America, a President simply can't do his job properly without breaking the law. Think about that! What did he do during his term that we simply don't know about?

For all of Joe Biden's flaws, I am pretty confident that he is not doing illegal things on a daily basis, and doesn't need this blanket immunity.

[-] SkyezOpen@lemmy.world 130 points 9 months ago

We need to investigate his son Hunter getting a security clearance when he should not have been eligible, and also 2 billion dollars from Saudi Arabia.

Wait that was Jared kushner? Nevermind nothing to see here.

[-] Theprogressivist@lemmy.world 56 points 9 months ago

Not gonna lie you got me on the first half lol

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[-] Theprogressivist@lemmy.world 70 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Definitely sold secrets. Either for money or compliments.

[-] Neato@ttrpg.network 36 points 9 months ago

Didn't his kids receive like a billions bucks from Saudi Arabia right after he left office? I thought the assumption was they just sold boxes of classified documents.

[-] Boddhisatva@lemmy.world 22 points 9 months ago

You're conflating two of the many horrible things that happened in the Trump years. First was Kushner getting $2 billion dollars for selling Saudi prince Mohammed bin Salman the "names of Saudis disloyal to the crown prince." Those people were of course all subsequently arrested by the prince.

The second was that, after Trumps reckless handling of top secret information, the CIA sent out a cable to all their offices informing them of the loss of an unusually high number of human assets. While there is no proof Trump and co. sold or leaked classified information, I personally am confident that even if he didn't sell the information, his carelessness is almost certainly the cause of at least some portion of those deaths. The following are some excerpts from the Cornell Policy Review - The Executive Records Recovered from Mar-a-Lago and the C.I.A.’s Missing Informants(PDF). The whole thing is worth a read if you're interested.

In October 2021, almost a year prior to the Mar-a-Lago search, The New York Times reported that the C.I.A. had disclosed, within a top-secret C.I.A. cable, that an unusually high number of foreign citizens serving as U.S. government informants had been killed, arrested, or compromised by rival intelligence agencies. The C.I.A. admitted it had no concrete evidence as to why this was happening, and could only point to internal measures like “poor tradecraft; being too trusting of sources; underestimating foreign intelligence agencies and moving too quickly to recruit informants.” There may be more information about why this was occurring, and the F.B.I. document seizure at Mar-a-Lago in August 2022 suggests a possible explanation.

The New York Times reported that the D.O.J. search of Mar-a-Lago was instigated by the discovery of highly classified material related to “clandestine human sources.” This was confirmed by the F.B.I. affidavit from Mar-a-Lago, alluding that the documents contained information on the C.I.A.’s Human Intelligence Control System (HCS), a system designed to protect intelligence information derived from clandestine human sources. The HCS intelligence documents contain details about the sources of the information–informants themselves. In some cases these details are general, such as if an unidentified clandestine source has direct or secondary intelligence knowledge. In others, these details are more descriptive and could provide identifiable information. The New York Times states the documents retrieved from Mar-a-Lago in January 2021 included some files demarcated as HCS information which could possibly identify C.I.A. informants. Protection of these informants’ information is why the C.I.A. and the intelligence community may have originally sought control over the HCS intelligence documents as soon as Donald Trump left office, then had the N.A.R.A. refer the DOJ to recoup this top-secret, national information.

Though it is uncertain if foreign intelligence ever accessed these documents, media reports indicate one possible occurrence in Inna Yashchyshyn. In May 2021, Yashchyshyn successfully posed as a member of the Rothschild family to gain access to Mar-a-Lago. At that time, the F.B.I. reported that Yashchyshyn hoped to make Trump family connections and raise money. Little is known about Inna Yashchyshyn other than that she is a Russian-speaking Ukrainian immigrant who used a fake identity to gain access to and build relationships with several U.S. politicians, including Donald Trump. Her link to any foreign government agency is unknown; however, two truths remain: (1) she is closely linked to a Moscow-raised businessman named Valeriy Tarasenko (who provided the F.B.I. with her motivations and actual identity during a deposition), and (2) she used a fake alias to gain special access into Mar-a-Lago.

[-] Neato@ttrpg.network 10 points 9 months ago

Thanks. That makes more sense. I think selling the Saudis info about dissidents was definitely espionage and am wondering why he isn't in prison.

[-] Boddhisatva@lemmy.world 11 points 9 months ago

Rumor has it the information about the dissidents was straight from a Presidential Daily Briefing so yeah, he really should be in jail.

[-] LocoOhNo@lemmus.org 20 points 9 months ago

$3 Billion, specifically. And I don't remember the time frame in relation, but a bunch of American spies wound up dead as well.

[-] Neato@ttrpg.network 10 points 9 months ago

Wow. So espionage as well. How did our government not find enough evidence to bury them? The trump kids are fucking morons.

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[-] grue@lemmy.world 19 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

For all of Joe Biden’s flaws, I am pretty confident that he is not doing illegal things on a daily basis

Or if he is, they're "normal" presidential illegal things like ordering CIA black ops or whatever, not abusing the position to gain personal fortune and autocratic power like Trump does.

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[-] YaksDC@lemmy.world 82 points 9 months ago

Does he not realize that if that right is codified before he's president again that Biden could just turn around and have him executed without any repercussions. I don't believe Biden would do that but it just shows that he is not thinking beyond the tip of his nose.

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 70 points 9 months ago

I don’t believe Biden would do that

I don't either, but, like, maybe he should?

[-] Fapper_McFapper@lemmy.world 26 points 9 months ago

I volunteer to throw the switch. Or maybe we can do it in Alabama with nitrogen and an ill fitted mask.

[-] NoIWontPickaName@kbin.social 13 points 9 months ago

I have two hands, we can suffocate him the old way and save taxpayers money

[-] Witchfire@lemmy.world 10 points 9 months ago

If you make it a PPV event it'll drastically lower the nation's debt in Minecraft

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[-] cranakis@reddthat.com 12 points 9 months ago

I think he's hoping the timing will work out so that he gets elected first, them SCOTUS grants him supreme immunity.

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[-] Szymon@lemmy.ca 66 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

In a hearing last month, Trump’s lawyers argued that immunity should go so far as to protect a president from prosecution even if they were to order SEAL Team 6 to assassinate a political rival.

10:1 odds there is a document outside of Trumps possession proving he asked SEAL Team 6 to assassinate a political rival while he was president.

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[-] psychothumbs@lemmy.world 55 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

If accountability for the powerful means the end of America as we know it I'm excited for the new America that we're about to meet.

[-] ZC3rr0r@lemmy.ca 49 points 9 months ago

I struggle to see how being held accountable is a bad thing. Even in public office.

Nobody should be above the law.

[-] MinusPi@yiffit.net 32 points 9 months ago

Because it's him being held accountable. Can't you see what a disaster that is!?

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[-] ghostdoggtv@lemmy.world 8 points 9 months ago

He's a confederate traitor so he needs immunity or America as he knows and loves it is over. As it should be.

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[-] kd45@lemm.ee 38 points 9 months ago

Can’t help but notice that this oompa loompa cunt still hasn’t been executed, what’s up with that America?

[-] NocturnalEngineer@lemmy.world 16 points 9 months ago

That would make him a martyr for his cult following, only escalating matters.

You need him to rot in jail instead. He'll have his following, but they'll start to get bored after a couple of years.

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[-] Cruxifux@lemmy.world 32 points 9 months ago

It’s upsetting to me that rich people posting in call caps about how they should be allowed to commit crimes resonates with me ANY Americans, never mind enough of your voting population that Donald Trump has a decent chance of winning the next election.

I mean every country has morons, but Jesus what is going on in your country man?

[-] ptz@dubvee.org 27 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

The systemic and intentional erosion of public education
Decades of prioritizing little Johnny's ability to play football over his ability to read
24/7 propaganda news networks
The consequences of years of lead exposure becoming apparent
Stupidity somehow becoming something to be proud of.
Jenny McCarthy (hell, all the well-known McCarthy's except Melissa)

The list goes on, but take your pick or mix and match; there's really no wrong answer. 🫠

[-] 7u5k3n@lemmy.world 18 points 9 months ago

Man my dad a Vietnam vet... Told me that jan6 was a shame and that they killed "that poor woman" trying to get through a door.

I was like... Dafuq? What about protecting elected officials lives? What about protecting the constitution? What about that whole "foreign and domestic" deal?

I told him.. I watched the live stream video of her being given a warning and a lawful order to stop and to remove herself from the area. She didn't. She got shot.

She wasn't a patriot.. she was a criminal who fucked around and found out.

Anything telling you otherwise is propaganda.

Crazy the spin they are trying to put on Jan6. :/

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[-] Pratai@lemmy.ca 26 points 9 months ago

Spoken like a truly innocent man, right? I mean. This alone is an admittance of guilt. Lock his fat ass in jail.

[-] cultsuperstar@lemmy.world 20 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

His (and the GOP) philosophy is "if I did it, then the Dems have to be doing it too." He and the GOP thinks nobody plays fair so why is he the only one being prosecuted. This is the whole witch hunt garbage he's been spewing for years.

I'm still waiting on the My Pillow guy and countless other GOPers to release all their evidence against Biden and the 2020 election having been rigged, though it's kinda late for them to drop any of those bombshells at this point.

E: words

[-] FooBarrington@lemmy.world 11 points 9 months ago

This is also why he is so sure of "election fraud" in the 2020 election. There's no way Trump and the GOP didn't attempt cheating - and since the Democrats won in spite of it, they must have also cheated.

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[-] Son_of_dad@lemmy.world 17 points 9 months ago

If he doesn't like it, he doesn't have to run

[-] pinkdrunkenelephants@lemmy.cafe 16 points 9 months ago

To be fair, America has been pretty much done and overwith since 9/11.

[-] Bennettiquette@lemmy.world 11 points 9 months ago

Reagan.

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[-] alpacaherder@feddit.nl 14 points 9 months ago

“President Supervillain in the Land of Infinite Crimes”

I don’t want to live in that world

[-] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 13 points 9 months ago

His America. The America that lets him and those like him get away with whatever they want. The America that, so far, they have mostly built up in their collective imagination.

[-] orbitz@lemmy.ca 8 points 9 months ago

He has poor concept of things other than him (it's not projection when he accused people it's his poor imagination stunting possibilities so he assumes people would do what he does, least it's my theory as a random person so don't take it for much), in his speeches change out when he says US or America to Trump and it makes perfect sense. 'I'm over as we know if I can't do crimes while in office'. Okay I know the whole quote wasn't him but it's pretty much what he's been saying. Like Judge Dredd, I am the law, to Trump he IS America.

It's truely baffling that he has support from anyone to me, like seeing someone slowly back into a car, they should be able to see it and you can see it, you yell to bring it to their attention but it still happens. Except in this case people only see a fantastic outcome when the car hits something like they all took shrooms and LSD.

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[-] Rapidcreek@lemmy.world 11 points 9 months ago

His immunity claim is a political and legal loser.

“About two-thirds of U.S. adults do not think former President Donald Trump should have immunity from criminal prosecution for actions he took while president,” according to a new PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-should-not-get-immunity-2-out-of-3-americans-say

[-] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 13 points 9 months ago

And the 1/3 that think he should? I'd call those people un-American.

[-] MotoAsh@lemmy.world 8 points 9 months ago

If they don't like laws so much, they can just move to a country without any!

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[-] ME5SENGER_24@lemmy.world 11 points 9 months ago

Why can’t he get it through his thick head that the president is the same as every other citizen. There are no rights or rules that he’s exempt from. We are all citizens of a nation. If he doesn’t want to abide by the same rules, there are plenty of small cement rooms that would happy to have him sleep over

[-] BananaOnionJuice@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 9 months ago

If Jesus, Muhammad and Budda, the Super Best Friends, visited trump to try and turn him around they would end up leaving shaking their head.

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[-] PeckerBrown@lemmy.world 9 points 9 months ago

Eat shit, Pumpkin Tits.

[-] affiliate@lemmy.world 9 points 9 months ago

this isn’t something that can be debated or reasoned with. he’s not presenting an argument because he doesn’t have one. he’s saying these things simply because he wants them to be true. i’m so tired of seeing the media respond to the things he says as if he cares about whether the things he says actually make sense.

they should treat this as what it is: propaganda

[-] PeckerBrown@lemmy.world 8 points 9 months ago

Lemme translate that title for ya: Talking Diaper Leaks Shit Again While Exhausted Country Frantically Searches For Hose.

[-] autotldr@lemmings.world 8 points 9 months ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:

Donald Trump isn’t happy that judges on a Washington, D.C., appeals court ruled that he’s not protected from prosecution in the Justice Department’s election interference case against him.

In a hearing last month, Trump’s lawyers argued that immunity should go so far as to protect a president from prosecution even if they were to order SEAL Team 6 to assassinate a political rival.

The court’s three-judge panel ruled on Tuesday that this shouldn’t be the case, nor should a president be protected from prosecution if they were to illegally attempt to overturn an election.

A UMass Amherst poll released Wednesday found that a whopping 74 percent of Republicans believe Trump should be able to act as a dictator for a day to start a prospective second term in office, something he has teased he will do.

Once he does, it will be up to the Supreme Court to decide whether they want to issue a ruling of their own, which could delay Trump’s federal election interference trial.

Meanwhile, he’s running for president, and though the MAGA faithful might want to give him absolute power, it’s unclear whether relentlessly posting all-caps rants about how he needs to be able to commit crimes to effectively do the job is going to resonate with most Americans.

The original article contains 504 words, the summary contains 213 words. Saved 58%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

[-] BigMacHole@lemm.ee 7 points 9 months ago

It's a good thing we haven't punished him at ALL for any of his Crimes! He's DEFINITELY learned his Lesson!

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this post was submitted on 09 Feb 2024

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