The Supreme Court has been asked to weigh in on a question that will decide if the former president faces charges for efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
WASHINGTON (CN) — The Supreme Court agreed on Monday to review a fast-tracked petition asking if Donald Trump can use his status as a former president to claim immunity from criminal charges related to his effort to overturn the 2020 election.
The order came only hours after Special Counsel Jack Smith asked the justices to expedite consideration of Trump’s presidential immunity claim in his D.C. prosecution for election interference leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. The decision is not an agreement to hear Smith’s case, but rather an agreement to review his petition faster than normal.
Immunity while head of state? Sounds like a monarchy to me.
And if SCOTUS says the President is an absolute monarch? What would you want Biden to do next? The GQP just never thinks this through.
And if SCOTUS says the President is an absolute monarch? What would you want Biden to do next?
Use his powers as monarch to remove the justices that gave him such power, then abdicate back down to president.
It would be in the most Biden way possible too. Dissolve the current court, instate mildly progressive liberals, and order a reruling to remove his power
Cincinnatus reborn
Arrest the bunch of them. “The Republican party is hereby disbanded, arrests begin in 5 minutes.”
(throwback for the kids in the room):
Can’t believe that this became an international faux pas. Reagan was absolutely a spawn of Satan, but come on. Unless “We begin bombing in 5 minutes” was broadcasted live (the report says it was an audio test) there’s no way it should be read as anything other than gallows humor.
The legit argument for immunity is that a president is completely immune for official actions, anything else done while he is president but not official presidential action can’t be charged while president but can be charged after his term.
Assuming they aren’t charging anything that could be construed as an official presidential action, this should be 9-0 of course you can be charged.
Anything illegal should be charge-worthy, official or not, just like any other office. Actively holding the title of president entities immunity only as a delay, because that role also serves as commander-in-chief for the US. Having that seat empty during a prosecution could be hugely disruptive to the executive branch and strategically unwise for geopolitics.
But once the new president takes over, there’s no longer any reason to delay the judicial process with temporary immunity.
At least, that’s how I learned it in 6th grade, midwest public school.
I’m actually pro prosecution / impeachment of presidents for that reason, we have a backup available so it doesn’t actually hurt us. But I have to disagree on official actions. Sending someone to war can’t be reckless endangerment, having someone drone striked can’t be murder, we can’t have the president sued for damages every time they sign a law that harms a business or industry.
His efforts to overturn the election came about while he was still President. Trump was the President of the United States on January 6th, 2021. Biden was not the President until January 20th, 2021.
Framing it that way, this is getting worse all the time.
My prediction: 7-2 with Alito and Thomas holding out for divine right of kings.
So, basically, we are totally fucked if they say he’s immune and can commit treason
If presidents are immune then Biden is instantly free to have the FBI toss Trump in super max.
If they give him immunity, they are basically saying any president can rig an election with no consequences. It would completely undermine our system of government.
