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workinclasszero

(28,270 posts)
Mon Jun 4, 2018, 11:44 AM Jun 2018

Trump says he has 'absolute right' to pardon himself, calls special counsel 'unconstitutional'

By MEGHAN KENEALLY ALEXANDER MALLIN Jun 4, 2018, 10:30 AM ET

President Donald Trump on Monday declared that he has the authority to pardon himself in any Russia investigation.

This question of pardoning has come up over the past few months as special counsel Robert Mueller and his team continue to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election.

"As has been stated by numerous legal scholars, I have the absolute right to PARDON myself, but why would I do that when I have done nothing wrong? In the meantime, the never ending Witch Hunt, led by 13 very Angry and Conflicted Democrats (& others) continues into the mid-terms!" he wrote on Twitter.

Rudy Giuliani told ABC News global anchor George Stephanopoulos on Sunday that the president "probably does" have the ability to pardon himself.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-absolute-pardon/story?id=55631217

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Trump says he has 'absolute right' to pardon himself, calls special counsel 'unconstitutional' (Original Post) workinclasszero Jun 2018 OP
I think its well known among thinking people, Trump is a living lie, and he won't stop lying. Civic Justice Jun 2018 #1
Yup workinclasszero Jun 2018 #2
I tweeted in reply to him Desert grandma Jun 2018 #3
Trump is a lawless wannabe dictator workinclasszero Jun 2018 #4
the trumpster/dumpster empedocles Jun 2018 #5
I believe the argument is that the Special Counsel is not an "Inferior Officer" Bok_Tukalo Jun 2018 #6
Let's remember why Bill Clinton was impeached (but not convicted). Sophia4 Jun 2018 #7
From my twitter feed Gothmog Jun 2018 #8
Kakistocracy workinclasszero Jun 2018 #10
He has the absolute right to fuck himself Blue Owl Jun 2018 #9
Melania probably told him the exact same thing. Civic Justice Jun 2018 #11
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Mr. Ected Jun 2018 #12
 

Civic Justice

(870 posts)
1. I think its well known among thinking people, Trump is a living lie, and he won't stop lying.
Mon Jun 4, 2018, 11:49 AM
Jun 2018

We are witnessing America having "Evil" in its highest office.

 

workinclasszero

(28,270 posts)
2. Yup
Mon Jun 4, 2018, 11:55 AM
Jun 2018

I sure that those constitution lovin republicans are going to slap down Trump's attempt at dictatorship any minute now.

Imagine what would have happened if President Obama or a President HRC would have said they were above the law and could do any damn thing they wanted to do.

I hate republican hypocrites with every fiber of my being!

Desert grandma

(804 posts)
3. I tweeted in reply to him
Mon Jun 4, 2018, 11:56 AM
Jun 2018

that he is NOT a king, and that most LEGITIMATE constitutional scholars do NOT agree with his assessment. No man is above the law!

 

workinclasszero

(28,270 posts)
4. Trump is a lawless wannabe dictator
Mon Jun 4, 2018, 12:03 PM
Jun 2018

Last edited Mon Jun 4, 2018, 01:57 PM - Edit history (1)

This country is in a constitutional crisis with a criminal squatting in the white house.

I don't know if Mueller's investigation can stop the beast in the white house at this point. The GOP will do anything to stop it.

Our only hope seems to be a massive blue wave election this fall or America is dead and buried.

empedocles

(15,751 posts)
5. the trumpster/dumpster
Mon Jun 4, 2018, 12:04 PM
Jun 2018

Trump and his munchkins dominate the media with his tweets, NK 'meet and greet' preps, . While most republicons do not know, what is going on [what guilty pleas by top trumpers, what indictments, what due process, what rule of law].
I especially like ghouli's, ' trump can shoot comey and not get . . . '

Bok_Tukalo

(4,323 posts)
6. I believe the argument is that the Special Counsel is not an "Inferior Officer"
Mon Jun 4, 2018, 12:07 PM
Jun 2018

… and therefore requires nomination by the Executive, along with Senate Advice and Consent, in order to function.

At least I believe that is the argument being made by those who are attempting to color Mueller's position as unconstitutional. They argue it violate the Appointments Clause ([link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appointments_Clause|).

It is pretty thin sauce.



 

Sophia4

(3,515 posts)
7. Let's remember why Bill Clinton was impeached (but not convicted).
Mon Jun 4, 2018, 12:39 PM
Jun 2018

The impeachment of Bill Clinton was initiated in December 1998 by the House of Representatives and led to a trial in the Senate for the impeachment of Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States, on two charges, one of perjury and one of obstruction of justice.[1] These charges stemmed from a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against Clinton by Paula Jones. Clinton was subsequently acquitted of these charges by the Senate on February 12, 1999.[2] Two other impeachment articles – a second perjury charge and a charge of abuse of power – failed in the House.
Bill Clinton . . . .

Leading to the impeachment, Independent Counsel Ken Starr turned over documentation to the House Judiciary Committee. Chief Prosecutor David Schippers and his team reviewed the material and determined there was sufficient evidence to impeach the president. As a result, four charges were considered by the full House of Representatives; two passed, making Clinton the second president to be impeached, after Andrew Johnson in 1868, and only the third against whom articles of impeachment had been brought before the full House for consideration (Richard Nixon resigned from the presidency in 1974, while an impeachment process against him was underway).

The trial in the United States Senate began right after the seating of the 106th Congress, in which the Republican Party held 55 Senate seats. A two-thirds vote (67 senators) was required to remove Clinton from office. 50 senators voted to remove Clinton on the obstruction of justice charge and 45 voted to remove him on the perjury charge; no member of his own Democratic Party voted guilty on either charge. Clinton, like Johnson a century earlier, was acquitted on all charges.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment_of_Bill_Clinton

And Nixon? What precisely were the charges against him?

Following a subpoena from the Judiciary Committee, in April 1974 edited transcripts of many Watergate-related conversations from the Nixon White House tapes were made public by Nixon, but the committee pressed for full tapes and additional conversations. Nixon refused, but on July 24, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against him. On July 27, 29, and 30, 1974, the Committee approved three articles of impeachment against Nixon, for obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress, and reported those articles to the House of Representatives. Two other articles of impeachment were debated but not approved. Before the House could vote on the impeachment resolutions, Nixon made public one of the additional conversations, known as the "Smoking Gun Tape", which made clear his complicity in the cover-up. With his political support completely eroded, Nixon resigned from office on August 9, 1974. It is widely believed that had Nixon not resigned, his impeachment by the House and removal from office by a trial before the United States Senate would have occurred.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment_process_against_Richard_Nixon

Lying and obstructing justice as well as abusing power. That's all it takes.

Just a reminder.

We have a cowardly Congress.

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