this post was submitted on 09 Jan 2024
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U.S. presidents cannot be prosecuted for selling pardons or assassinating political rivals through SEAL Team Six, personal Trump lawyer John Sauer argued Tuesday.

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[–] Sanctus@lemmy.world 134 points 11 months ago (4 children)

Does Trump know this ruling could end with Biden legally ordering his assassination? His opponent is President right now.

[–] formergijoe@lemmy.world 35 points 11 months ago

I think Trump's betting on the Supreme Court dragging their feet long enough to where Dark Brandon cannot Dark Brandon, but Trump can just assassinate anyone who says he can't be a 3rd term president.

[–] fosforus@sopuli.xyz 31 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

The important question is, if this ruling goes through, will Biden understand the implications. And will he have enough balls to pull the trigger.

Oh look at me, fantasizing about Biden murdering Trump. Oopsie!

[–] pozbo@lemmy.world 18 points 11 months ago

Oopsie!

No oopsie here, it's double jeopardy after the GOP feigning victimhood for years on end. Play games, win prizes.

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[–] Asafum@feddit.nl 16 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Oh come on now, we all know full well that there is an asterisk somewhere. The fine print reads "Republican presidents only. These special rules don't apply to Democrats, they have harsher rules that aren't written we just call them like referees when we see them."

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[–] AlwaysNowNeverNotMe@kbin.social 108 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

Wow Biden should test that on trump, half of Congress, 2/3 of the supreme Court, and this lawyer. Today.

[–] Delphia@lemmy.world 46 points 11 months ago (3 children)

Oh come on... you're leaving out Eric and Jnr? Thats just asking for a revenge plot reboot.

[–] VikingHippie@lemmy.wtf 9 points 11 months ago

Maybe that's what they want.

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[–] Garbanzo@lemmy.world 101 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Sounds like they're telegraphing their plans for day one of Trump's next administration.

[–] troyunrau@lemmy.ca 88 points 11 months ago (1 children)

When fascists say they're going to do something, it's probably a good idea to believe them. When they say they won't do something, they'll probably do that too.

[–] whodatdair@lemm.ee 6 points 11 months ago

Don’t believe him; he’s telling the truth

[–] gmtom@lemmy.world 87 points 11 months ago (1 children)

MAGATS in 2016: "LMAO you're such an over-reacting cry baby, its not like trump is actually a dictator or anything."

MAGATS in 2023: "Trump has the right to assassinate his political rivals without consequence."

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[–] Crismus@lemmy.world 67 points 11 months ago (4 children)

Do they understand that the President isn't a King?

[–] originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com 38 points 11 months ago (7 children)

isnt it weird that trumps lawyers are going along with this...?? like i get that trump is a whacked out of his brain narcissist, but those lawyers have to go home and explain to their spouses that they just argued for King Trump being able to kill people. wtf

[–] CameronDev@programming.dev 27 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It gets better, they get to go home and explain why they werent paid to argue that he can kill people :D

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[–] eestileib@sh.itjust.works 13 points 11 months ago

They're married to other maga types.

[–] bedrooms@kbin.social 6 points 11 months ago

I believe these lawyers do it as a show for their potential mob clients. They want to demonstrate that they are loyal to the client not the court, will employ tricks like delay tactics to turn the court in their favor, maximizing the pressure for the opponent to drop the case due to costs mounted by this waste of time at court, etc.

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[–] ours@lemmy.world 21 points 11 months ago

When Trump was president, he made it well known he was jealous of kings/dictators/autocrats and how they don't need to fuss around too much with pesky concepts like democracy and separation of State powers.

[–] TheJims@lemmy.world 20 points 11 months ago (1 children)

They want us to believe that he’s infallible… like some kind of deity or messiah it’s just so fucking laughable. He doesn’t even try to argue his innocence anymore

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[–] deaf_fish@lemm.ee 11 points 11 months ago

Most of them don't understand anything. They are just rooting for their team repeating what they think sounds smart.

A few of them know that a president isn't a king. But they don't want a president. They want a king. And they don't care how many people that hurts. As long as it makes them more powerful in the process. These are the guys that are feeding the "smart" sounding lines to the majority who are just supporting the team.

[–] cultsuperstar@lemmy.world 61 points 11 months ago (5 children)

So Biden could order SEAL Team 6 to assassinate Trump and Biden wouldn't be convicted?

[–] Oderus@lemmy.world 20 points 11 months ago

Biden should order Seal Team 6 to perform a mock execution on Trump to prove a point. Drastic yes but Trump would actually do it.

[–] charonn0@startrek.website 11 points 11 months ago

If you believe Trump, yes.

So in reality, no, not in any sense.

[–] neptune@dmv.social 6 points 11 months ago

I personally propose that Harris initiate the slayings. Just to spice it all up a little bit.

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[–] Gigan@lemmy.world 49 points 11 months ago (3 children)

U.S. presidents cannot be prosecuted for selling pardons or assassinating political rivals through SEAL Team Six

If that's true, we should do something about it.

[–] tacosanonymous@lemm.ee 40 points 11 months ago (1 children)

"Unless they’re impeached and convicted by the Senate."

Bc they know even Dems would convict Joe for murder but they would never do it to one of their own.

GOP is going to coup the shit out of us in the near future.

[–] gregorum@lemm.ee 7 points 11 months ago (2 children)

the point they’re trying to make here is that, because Trump was acquitted by the Senate, this prosecution would amount to double jeopardy.

[–] tacosanonymous@lemm.ee 8 points 11 months ago (1 children)

They made that case because he wasn’t convicted. As a lawyer, you play as many cards as you have. They know it's bs, we know it, and the judges know it too.

I’m saying that if the argument worked, hypothetically, they would use it as bitch cudgel and a shield.

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[–] benignintervention@lemmy.world 13 points 11 months ago (1 children)

If I recall correctly, this would be an illegal order in violation of the Title 10 authorities which govern DoD activities if it took place within the borders of the country. I'm not a federal lawyer so I don't know the details, but I believe it prohibits the armed forces operating under Title 10 from performing operations on U.S. soil. Title 18 however governs agencies like the FBI and allows operations within U.S. borders but prohibits foreign operations.

This is all a vague memory from an old lesson, but at first glance the attorney's argument is utter crap. It boils down to "no act of the president can be considered in violation of any law." Not a comforting sentiment, and a dangerous precedent.

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[–] Carighan@lemmy.world 9 points 11 months ago

Let them assassinate Trump, that is?

[–] chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.com 29 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (4 children)

“Could a president order SEAL Team Six to assassinate a political rival? That’s an official act–an order to Seal Team Six,” U.S. Circuit Judge Florence Pan asked Sauer.

“He would have to be, and would speedily be, you know, impeached and convicted before the criminal prosecution,” Sauer replied, setting a pre-condition for such prosecution in Pan’s hypothetical.

I wonder if that's true. Would a congress controlled by the Republican party of today really follow through with impeachment for that? I'm sure such a president would have all kinds of excuses as to why they had to do it and how their rival was a threat to national security etc etc that their followers would take at face value.

[–] troglodytis@lemmy.world 15 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Well, just kill the representatives and senators that won't fall in line. According to Trump, it's legal

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[–] CileTheSane@lemmy.ca 15 points 11 months ago

“He would have to be, and would speedily be, you know, impeached and convicted before the criminal prosecution,” Sauer replied, setting a pre-condition for such prosecution in Pan’s hypothetical.

Meanwhile, Republicans didn't impeach him because "the courts should decide."

They're trying to create Schrodinger's Dictator.

[–] DoucheBagMcSwag@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 11 months ago

they wouldn't.

And he knows it.

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[–] ristoril_zip@lemmy.zip 23 points 11 months ago (2 children)

It's the hand these lawyers have been dealt to try to make this argument fly. They are duty bound to provide the best representation they can for their client, and if somehow this completely bonkers argument wins the day, I think that's pretty much it for American democracy.

Or Biden has all this on standby just in case...

[–] originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com 22 points 11 months ago (2 children)

my favorite business teacher once told me almost no one has to do anything. we just need to accept the consequences of those actions... breathe/dont breathe.. steal/dont steal.

no one is holding a gun to these lawyers heads, are they? these arent 'public defenders' answering the call of their duty. these are private, douchebag lawyers who have chosen to be douchebags.... correct me if im wrong.

[–] CameronDev@programming.dev 17 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, they can drop the client if they wanted to. And they probably should, they arent gonna get paid either way.

[–] bedrooms@kbin.social 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

My pet theory is that they know they won't be paid. It's an ad for these lawyers, who will be contacted later by ultra conservative clients or even mobs. They want a mob lawyer who does, for example, delay tactics, the defining scheme of the Trump franchise.

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[–] Bartlebad@lemmy.world 9 points 11 months ago

Same kind of thing was said by my Life Skills teacher in high school.

"The only thing you HAVE to do in life is die."

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[–] qyron@sopuli.xyz 18 points 11 months ago (1 children)

You guys are describing the Presidency or a Mafia ring?

[–] gregorum@lemm.ee 12 points 11 months ago (1 children)
[–] qyron@sopuli.xyz 6 points 11 months ago

Oh, that's a given.

[–] Sendbeer@lemm.ee 14 points 11 months ago

Works for Russia. Window sales going to see a surge if Trump gets elected.

[–] pacology@lemmy.world 14 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

If you are a history buff, read up on the aventine secession on Wikipedia.

The TL;DR is that in 1924 Giacomo Matteotti, a member of the house of representative who was outspoken against Mussolini, was killed and no charges were brought forward. That even is what transition Italy from a semi-working democracy to a one-party dictatorship.

[–] AA5B@lemmy.world 13 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

There were some very questionable pardons - where is that investigation?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_granted_executive_clemency_by_Donald_Trump

the vast majority were to persons to whom Trump had a personal or political connection, or persons for whom executive clemency served a political goal.[2][3][5] A significant number had been convicted of fraud or public corruption.[6] The New York Times reported that during the closing days of the Trump presidency, individuals with access to the administration, such as former administration officials, were soliciting fees to lobby for presidential pardons

Huh, he posthumously pardoned Susan B Anthony? I’ll give Trump credit for that.

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[–] Flex@lemmy.world 10 points 11 months ago

I guess in his mind we should be grateful he didn't assassinate any rivals?

[–] Coreidan@lemmy.world 7 points 11 months ago

Trump isnt saying these things because he believes it. He’s saying these things because he wants his fans to believe him.

Last time he promoted J6. Now he’s promoting assassination.

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