Trump Lawyer Says Having Political Rival Killed Could Constitute 'Official' Presidential Act
Trump Lawyer Says Having Political Rival Killed Could Constitute 'Official' Presidential Act
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments Thursday on Donald Trump's bid to secure sweeping presidential immunity from criminal prosecution
Sotomayor: If the president decides that his rival is a corrupt person and he orders the military to assasinate him, is that within his official acts to which he has immunity?
"That could well be an official act," Trump lawyer John Sauer says
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It's just bizarre to listen to...
Kagan: If a president sells nuclear secrets to a foreign adversary, is that immune?
Sauer: If it's structured as an official act, he would have to be impeached and convicted first.
It's the only argument he can make. If he makes any other argument, his position on complete and total immunity is dead on the spot, as he would be conceding that the President isn't completely and totally immune after all.
Any concession, no matter how ridiculous the example, would invalidate his entire case immediately and he knows it. And if you ever hear him say "He would have to be impeached and convicted first", you'll know that he damn well knows how ridiculous his own arguments sound.
Judge: If President Trump were to run around the White House naked with a rubber glove on his head yelling 'Hi, I'm a squid! Nuke Montana so I can take out my rival octopus and his herd of glitter cows!', would that be an official act he would have immunity under?
Sauer: If it’s structured as an official act, he would have to be impeached and convicted first.
Doesn't matter what scenario you put there. Sauer's options are to repeat that line or essentially lose the case.
Sauer: If it's structured as an official act, he would have to be impeached and convicted first.
Alright you goddamn fascist enabler, explain how the fuck breaking the law either by stealing nuclear secrets or assassinating political opponents could be "structured as an official act." Explain the exact case law and legal mechanisms that explicitly give the office of the President this authority. And then, while you're exhaling the CO2 that some poor plant is gonna have to clean up, explain how private citizen Donald Trump shouldn't be prosecuted for committing these acts while he wasn't in office.
You fucking jackass.
Classified documents aren't a great example, as classification authority is delegated by the executive.
There is a law that describes the process. And it exists for exactly this reason: there is no evidence the files Trump stole had been declassified, and by the time it was discovered he had them he was no longer occupying the office.
I haven't read it. Mind linking it? I know the training I've been through makes it clear how classification authority is delegated down.
The Brennan Center gives a pretty easy lay explanation here.
Thanks.
The very next question should have been "And if he has 1/2 of the House of Representatives killed at the same time?"
why only half? isn't it more efficient to kill all members of all other branches along with all identified successors?
Because the other half would be his supporters.
well maybe now but if you want to be sure then double down and clean slate that shit.
While you're at it, write an executive order dissolving Congress and establishing the President as a dictator. It's an "official act" so it should be fine, right?
exactly. and no worries. we can still have elections. just like russia or north korea or china.
Now consider that Trump is already speaking in interviews as if he has the guaranteed immunity in his pocket...
He already promised he'll take nasty revenge on his rivals, have people removed who are thwarting him now. Promises drilling drilling drilling (I assume for oil) from day one, regardless if there's a law or rules against that which would normally need to be overturned first...
Somehow he is riding on the done deal he can do whatever he wants the moment he is "elected" and there will be no one to stop him.
I think that was covered under the coup question.