Trump Demands Total Presidential Immunity -- Even for Acts That 'Cross the Line' ( www.rollingstone.com )

The former president has made clear once again that he believes the office should have absolute power

The D.C. Federal Court of Appeals is expected to hand down a decision on Donald Trump’s claim to “absolute” presidential immunity any day now, and the former president is upping his public pressure campaign for a favorable decision.

Early Thursday morning, Trump took to Truth Social to rant about the exemption he believes a president — or former president — should have from prosecution over crimes committed while in office. “EVEN EVENTS THAT ‘CROSS THE LINE’ MUST FALL UNDER TOTAL IMMUNITY, OR IT WILL BE YEARS OF TRAUMA TRYING TO DETERMINE GOOD FROM BAD,” Trump wrote.

...

The former president argued that without total blanket immunity, the chief executive would be stripped of the “authority and decisiveness” necessary to carry out their duties in office. “Sometimes you just have to live with ‘great but slightly imperfect,’” he wrote in the all-caps post.

badaboomxx ,

Kind of impressed that I didn't see any of those "centrists" calling bOtH sIdEs, but only bashing democrats in here.

I really thing that the orangeoutan must be held accountable with all the crimes he did, no one is above thr law, and specially someone who was president, in this case he should be not only punished but make an example out of him, and the republican traitors.

Illuminostro ,

So, by this logic, Biden could have Trump imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay for life, Bonaparte style.

unreasonabro ,

He's keeping awful quiet about Hilary. Probably he plans on having her killed.

PorradaVFR ,

Every assertion is a confession.

“I crossed the line, don’t hold me accountable”.

No. Everyone is equal under the law. Must be.

badbytes ,

This man says a lot of things

drivepiler ,

Maybe even the most things

bfg9k ,

Everybody knows it

JonEFive ,

That's what they're saying folks. It's true. It's all true.

stringere ,

It is what they're saying.

njm1314 ,

This idiot is really arguing that someone should be able to assassinate him without any consequences. That is the legal argument he's making.

Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In ,

I think he's promoting a no holes bared, fight to the death presidential BATTLE ROYAL.

My money is on

SeaJ ,

*holds

No holes barred would be a different type of wrasslin'.

FabledAepitaph ,

Ugh lol

stringere ,

You missed 'bared'?

Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In ,

Really? I always bar my holes, just in case.

Buffaloaf ,

I think Obama would be the favorite to win

Knock_Knock_Lemmy_In ,

On paper, maybe. But I reckon Carter's street smarts beat Obama's book smarts.

BigBenis ,

Considering at 62 he's still 15 years younger than the next youngest living president (GWB) current or otherwise, I'd have to agree with you.

Tathas ,

Sounds like he'd be up for some good old https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_mutilation_in_Byzantine_culture

JonEFive ,

No, you're missing the point. You see, this special immunity should only apply to Trump. Because he's Trump, and if he says stupid things often enough, some people will believe him.

unreasonabro ,

that hasn't occurred to him yet. but he plans on being america's last president

BigMacHole ,

Trump just said Biden has immunity to jail him for no reason at all! Thanks Trump!

fosforus ,

Perhaps jail... or I mean if we're brainstorming... perhaps capture him and remove all his nails with pliers.

GladiusB ,
@GladiusB@lemmy.world avatar

I thought Hunter was reason enough?

beebarfbadger ,

"Aww, surely he didn't mean it exactly like he said it. We must give him the benefit of the doubt since he is a rich and respectable person who wouldn't say something like that."

"No, please. Do not give me the benefit of the doubt. I mean it - I WILL literally kill you if I get elected again."

"That could mean anything, surely he wouldn't imply that he would kill us if he got elected. He must have misspoken or meant something else."

KevonLooney ,

The issue is, Trump never means what he says. Lying is like breathing for him. So no one should believe what he literally says. He can't actually follow through on a plan to do anything, even if he wants to.

You should believe that he wants to do what he says though. He may accidentally do something worse and not fix it. Like the trade war with China that accomplished nothing. Or the millions of unnecessary pandemic deaths. Trump isn't dangerous because of what he will do, but because of what other people will do while he fails to act in the interests of the country.

Mirshe ,

Remember that time he ordered the assassination of an Iranian commander, on Iraqi (allied) soil, while that commander was there attending a peace conference with Iraq?

JonEFive ,

I'm definitely voting for the leopards again this year. I mean, last time they ate the faces of people just like me, some of whom I didn't like very much to begin with. But ultimately, I was mostly unharmed last time. Surely that will continue to be the case, and the leopards will only way the faces of other people,and not me.

kent_eh ,

Mister "lock her up" sure has changed his tune...

Not that it's surprising. He contradicts himself daily, and has done so for years.

dharwin ,

So, Biden can just throw Trump in jail right now, or assassinate him? Cool, cool. Donny isn't too bright, is he.

tacosplease ,

It's not hard to make an argument that he is a threat to national security.

tym ,

Wasn't there a couple by the name of Rosenberg that also took classified documents and gave them to countries in Asia? What ever happened to them?

mavu ,

What line?

I don't think there has been a line for a while.

IphtashuFitz ,

The line is that only Trump can do anything with impunity. That same power doesn’t apply to Biden or future presidents.

I wonder if anybody has tried to explain to Trump that if he wins the argument that presidents have absolute power that Biden could immediately jail him and his entire family for no reason at all…

sysadmin420 ,

Clinton was also immune then right? He just got his sick ducked. Man those were much simpler times...

TheRealKuni ,

Clinton took advantage of an imbalance in power to get sexual favors from an intern while he was president of the United States.

An imbalance of power to that degree makes consent impossible.

Yes, the impeachment trial was political bullshit, but let’s not pretend what Clinton did was okay.

sysadmin420 ,

Totally cool for our bro Donnie to start an insurrection then, and totally get away with it all, immunity and all.

TheRealKuni ,

Totally cool for our bro Donnie to start an insurrection then, and totally get away with it all, immunity and all.

False dilemmas are dangerous. Don’t fall prey to all-or-nothing, with-us-or-against-us tribalism.

Clinton did a bad thing. Trump also did a bad thing, and directly threatens the stability of our society. Both can be bad while one can still be worse.

Mr_Blott ,

This isn't news, and you're only helping his cause by posting shit like this

kent_eh ,

This isn't news,

It is to some people.

And if constant reminders of how shitty a person Trump is will nudge the apathetic non-voters to get off their asses and vote, then I would argue it is a net benefit.

werefreeatlast ,

Let's not forget that this bullshit actually killed at least one person.

Ashli Babbitt, an Air Force veteran, was fatally shot by a Capitol Police officer as rioters tried to breach the House chamber.

Kevin D. Greeson died of a heart attack, collapsing on the sidewalk west of the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Rosanne Boyland appeared to have been crushed in a stampede of fellow rioters as they surged against the police.

Benjamin Philips, the founder of a pro-Trump website called Trumparoo, died of a stroke.

And

In the days and weeks after the riot, five police officers who had served at the Capitol on Jan. 6 died.

Officer Brian D. Sicknick of the Capitol Police, who was attacked by the mob, died on Jan. 7.

Officer Jeffrey Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department killed himself after the attack.

Officer Howard S. Liebengood of the Capitol Police also died by suicide four days afterward.

So who is responsible for the attack on January 6th?

GilgameshCatBeard ,

So… Biden has immunity to do whatever he sees fit regarding the punishment befitting a traitor to America?

FUCK YEAH!

APassenger ,

I doubt Biden has the will to use unbriddled power, even if he had the license to do it.

I think we all know that and just love our fantasies.

Pat_Riot ,
@Pat_Riot@lemmy.today avatar

My fantasy is that no man will ever have unfettered power in this country. I know. I'm a dreamer.

qarbone ,

But what about me tho? I could do some funky things with unlimited power: intracontinental, high-speed trains; federal broadband Gigabit internet; purge day; allocation of public school funds; Thunderdome!

Omgpwnies ,

Intracontinental high-speed thunderdome

kent_eh ,

I doubt Biden has the will to use unbriddled power,

Of course not, but that's not the point.

Getting the hypnotized Trump cultists to think about the implications for even a second is helpful.

Moreso, getting the apathetic non-voters off their asses would be a significant improvement.

Bonesince1997 ,

Biden death squads. Start with MAGA.

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