Sorry if this is not the proper community for this question. Please let me know if I should post this question elsewhere.

So like, I’m not trying to be hyperbolic or jump on some conspiracy theory crap, but this seems like very troubling news to me. My entire life, I’ve been under the impression that no one is technically/officially above the law in the US, especially the president. I thought that was a hard consensus among Americans regardless of party. Now, SCOTUS just made the POTUS immune to criminal liability.

The president can personally violate any law without legal consequences. They also already have the ability to pardon anyone else for federal violations. The POTUS can literally threaten anyone now. They can assassinate anyone. They can order anyone to assassinate anyone, then pardon them. It may even grant complete immunity from state laws because if anyone tries to hold the POTUS accountable, then they can be assassinated too. This is some Putin-level dictator stuff.

I feel like this is unbelievable and acknowledge that I may be wayyy off. Am I misunderstanding something?? Do I need to calm down?

12 points

Yes, have you browsed Lemmy or the general internet the past few days??? How can you still be asking “is anyone else” at this point?

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7 points

Because they want to make a successful post but don’t actually have anything to add to the conversation.

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1 point

I don’t get why that would “make a successful post” it’s weird.

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1 point

And yet here we are.

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29 points

I feel like if Trump wins the election, my trans ass is going to end up in a concentration camp. Kinda hope I die before that happens.

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21 points

I hope HE dies before that happens. And wish you well.

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13 points

I know you’re being glib but I hope you live friend

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6 points

I’m gay so I have been literally looking at Canadian immigration

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4 points

Sorry, mate. The right is digging in their claws here to…

https://lemmy.ca/post/24380087

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1 point

Ugh

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1 point

We need to organize an underground railroad for LGBTQ+, minorities, and dissidents now.

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248 points

Nah man, this is very concerning. You don’t need to calm down; I think everyone else is too fuckin calm about it.

What I want from anyone supporting this decision is a single example of a situation where the President would need to break the law in an official capacity. I want just one. I’ll not get it, but I’m gonna keep demanding it.

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79 points

I’ve seen dozens of people, including myself, wondering why there’s no one in the streets over this, it’s a long weekend for a lot of people too.
Honestly, DC is a 10 hour drive for me. If I didn’t think I’d be the lone idiot protesting I’d be on my way because I’m off until Monday.
But there’s safety in numbers. One person in the street will get arrested and end up as a footnote in the local papers, a million people might make them notice.

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46 points

I’ve had plenty of days where i wondered of it was worth my kids living without me to live without him.

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17 points
*

I think about this all the time: people commit suicide by gun every day. So they want to die and they have a gun. Even if 99% of them are too depressed to do anything but die, I really think there should have been several attempts on Trump by now. I mean, hit or miss, shoot yourself like you were going to anyway right?

I’m not advocating murder or suicide. I’m just surprised it hasn’t happened.

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14 points

Every fucking day

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2 points

You underestimate current military weapons. Clusterbombs from drones would could kill hundreds of thousands of packed civilians. And don’t think a Dictator wouldn’t use them to stay in power.

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1 point

They are not in the streets because they are endless scrolling on their phones.

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39 points

The king of Sweden has a similar exemption from the law, but he also doesn’t hold any political power. I also don’t know how waterproof his status is if he did something heinous enough.

Trump already has done heinous stuff.

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74 points

Trump has already been convicted of felonies.

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32 points

But SCOTUS just made a ruling which states that some of the evidence used to convict him is inadmissible.

Just because he made those comments while in office. Because somehow lying about paying off porn stars to win a second term is protecting the American people and thus part of his official duties. Go figure.

US justice system is f*cked.

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13 points

Boggles the mind how one can be a convicted felon and still be in the race, but if you’re in prison you can’t vote.

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11 points

The king of Sweden doesn’t control the most powerful military in the world.

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14 points

He doesn’t control much of anything, actually!

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12 points

What about if the president wants to be a naughty boy, but doesn’t want any of those pesky consequences?

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4 points

I’d say Biden doing something official to null and void this decision would be good. He won’t, obviously, but it’s an example.

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6 points

a single example of a situation where the President would need to break the law in an official capacity.

I definitely don’t support the ruling but Obama has ordered drone strikes that killed children. Does that mean Obama should stand trial for murder? I think the idea is that the president is given the authority to do things most people can’t, and because of that, they can’t be held to the same standard as other people, at least while using that authority.

There really aught to be a line though. There can’t be blanket Immunity on every single presidental act no matter what. Ordering the assassination of the al-Qaeda leader and ordering the assassination of the Democrat leader should not be considered equal actions under the law. Trump is already arguing that his conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election results was an official action of the president. There’s no way that should be considered valid.

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18 points

What laws of our land were broken? Which statute? Has Obama been charged with anything and if so what? Because he didn’t have immunity from criminal prosecution, remember, so if this is your example you’re going to need to show that a former president a) had to break the law, b) couldn’t have accomplished the thing with existing powers, and c) faced criminal prosecution for that “official act” when they shouldn’t have, as a result of not having this immunity.

And this is my point exactly. Obama hasn’t been prosecuted for those drone strikes, nor for the operation that killed Bin Laden; and he won’t be, because those acts did not break United States law. When the President needs to do something most people can’t, they use powers imparted under existing law - the president already has quite a lot of power, you know. In the few cases the President has needed more than that, they’ve had to go justify it and get the other branches on board, at least nominally (looking at you, Bush Jr, and sending the Guard to the middle east to get around needing Congress to send the regular Army ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ). This is the way the system was designed, with checks and balances on each branch.

Long story short I’m sorry to say I find your example lacking and my challenge remains unmet. I very much appreciate you engaging in good faith though, so thanks!

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25 points

Biden has no balls. He should take one for the team and order the execution of SCOTUS. Either he gets prosecuted or he’ll put an end to this nonsense by force. Even if he gets prosecuted he’s old as fuck he’ll never see prison.

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14 points

Just throw the six that voted for immunity in prison for treason. A fate worse than death

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0 points

Easily proved. Especially if you bring it in front of what’s left of SCOTUS.

But then Biden is a dictator too. It’s fun to dream about revenge but it always hurts the wrong people in the end.

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1 point

Just the once though. Then balance/expand the SCOTUS. Give the Republicans a few to make it fair. Vote to overturn, and forget it ever happened. Logical people can’t get that upset that the only thing he did with his new king powers is do what it takes to save democracy

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1 point

At this point, we need someone to seize the reins long enough to save us. And then put them down.

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45 points

Beau of the Fifth Column on Youtube: https://youtu.be/vNzFQ10uSfU https://youtu.be/0Y-C1fWx37g

“This is now the most important election issue; it has to supersede all of the other ones. The American people now are no longer no longer choosing between two candidates that they really don’t like as many of the previous election cycles have been. They’re trying to make a determination which one is less likely to become a tyrant.”

The only problem I have with this quote is that a large portion of the electorate want the tyrant.

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8 points

The same people who want the tyrant are the same crowd that wanted covid. There’s too many morons.

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3 points

I was hoping the Anti-Vaxxers would take themselves out by refusing medicine… Too many of them survived…

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