• YurkshireLad@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    43
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    9 months ago

    I thought a president can do anything with full immunity. So Biden could make it so, according to Trump’s own rules.

    • LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      30
      ·
      9 months ago

      Does this case not also show that they will infact say he has immunity as well unless Congress impeaches him and the Senate agrees/dismissed the person. Aka the president has immunity to do anything they want so long as one of the legislative departments will not act. Aka, they can be run by fear of death as well unless they can pass the impeachment and dismissal faster than the president can hear about it or act to stop it.

      Theoretically wouldn’t it be legal for the president to blow up Congress in session because they couldn’t impeach him for doing so until a new Congress is elected… Which of course cannot happen without them all being scared for their lives. Legal dictatorship. : /

      • APassenger@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        9
        ·
        9 months ago

        Anyone here watched the video of Saddam and how he rose to power? It’s like a scene from Godfather.

        It’s worth a watch.

        Could that happen here? I’d absolutely hope not. But how many committed people do you need in order to make it happen? How many have to die in order for all others to be cowed?

        Giffords didn’t die and it sent an absolute chill.

      • Makeitstop@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        9 months ago

        This ruling was an inevitability. No matter how strong the case, they weren’t going to kick Trump off the ballot. Even if the Court didn’t have a conservative majority, the Court generally doesn’t like being seen as political. This is a polarizing case that asks them to choose between the election proceeding as usual, or being the ones responsible for disqualifying Trump. They may be willing to dive head first into polarizing issues of their choosing, but this wasn’t something they wanted, it was something that they could reasonably ignore. So, forced into ruling on this case, they voted 9-0 to take the easy way out and make an excuse.

        The question of total presidential immunity to all prosecution doesn’t cause quite the same problem. Hell, they don’t even need to rule on presidential immunity, they can just rule that there’s no immunity for ex-presidents. It’s the obviously correct answer, and it isn’t really changing the status quo. Ruling that current and former presidents have total immunity would put the Court in a much worse position, setting a massive game changing precedent and bailing Trump out in a way that looks corrupt. This seems especially implausible given the way the lower courts have explored this issue. A ruling in favor of Trump has very clearly been established to be a ruling that gives presidents a license to kill. I would honestly be surprised if we don’t get a 9-0 decision against Trump whenever they get around to deciding the case.

      • TempermentalAnomaly@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        9 months ago

        Biden can’t do that because he didn’t win the election. But Trump still can because he is technically the president. But you might say, then he cant run in 2024, right? Well, he’ll just have to change that as president. You’ve gotta think bigger and dumber.