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highplainsdem

(49,040 posts) Thu Apr 25, 2024, 11:10 AM Apr 25

Trump Lawyer Says Having Political Rival Killed Could Constitute 'Official' Presidential Act [View all]

Source: Rolling Stone

When asked by Justice Sonya Sotomayor during arguments on Thursday if the president deciding “that his rival is a corrupt person and he orders the military — or he orders someone to assassinate him” would constitute an official act subject to immunity, attorney D. John Sauer said it could.

“It would depend on the hypothetical but we can see that could well be an official act,” Sauer told the court.

In another hypothetical, Justice Elena Kagan asked if the president would be immune from prosecution if he sold nuclear secrets to a foreign adversary. Sauer affirmed that the sale was an “official act” the president would need to first be impeached and convicted before he could be prosecuted.

Sauer also claimed under questioning that a president could theoretically be immune from prosecution if he carried out — or attempted to carry out — a coup against the government.

Read more: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/supreme-court-trump-immunity-oral-arguments-1235010538/

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Trump Lawyer Says Having Political Rival Killed Could Constitute 'Official' Presidential Act [View all] highplainsdem Apr 25 OP

So if Biden orders a supreme court justice (or 3 or 4) to be assassinated, that is an official act? BComplex Apr 25 #1

According to Sauer, yes. MarineCombatEngineer Apr 25 #3

Time to create some openings in the court! ArkansasDemocrat1 Apr 25 #25

. 6 new openings coming right up. Trueblue1968 Apr 25 #45

Yup, if you follow that argument. Ocelot II Apr 25 #4

As Carl (Billy Bob) would say Traildogbob Apr 25 #7

Right now, I wish Biden had the authority to have all of trump's appointees impeached for lying their asses off BComplex Apr 25 #9

Preach!!! Traildogbob Apr 25 #13

if the SCOTUS gives absolute immunity, heaven forbid, then POTUS Biden will be able to onetexan Apr 25 #49

Silly, immunity only applies to cantaloupe caligula, don snoreleone. niyad Apr 25 #16

My bdamomma Apr 25 #55

But after impeachment & conviction THEN he could be charged. oldsoftie Apr 25 #20

But what if the president orders the arrest or murder thucythucy Apr 26 #76

One of the Justices should bring that up. Excellent point. oldsoftie Apr 26 #78

You'd think this would occur to one of these stellar legal minds. thucythucy Apr 26 #80

I wonder if any of the judges that side with Trump realize then that they might have signed their own death warrants? cstanleytech Apr 25 #68

Somebody needs to pose that question to this corrupt scotus onetexan Apr 26 #73

She is ripping him a new one. MarineCombatEngineer Apr 25 #2

For me, the worst part about this story is the fact this asshole lawyer has the same last name as me. Archae Apr 25 #5

Don't you hate that? Probatim Apr 25 #10

You mean your last name is Hannity? Archae Apr 25 #11

I'm not sure having Hannity as a last name is better or worse... Probatim Apr 25 #33

There was a boy who got his last name changed from "Trump" LastLiberal in PalmSprings Apr 25 #60

That is one crazy corrupt MF lawyer. Have to give him credit that he has guts to try to justify assesinations in such Escurumbele Apr 25 #6

Maybe he's being SO absurd to get the LOSS. oldsoftie Apr 25 #22

I Have Just One Question... GB_RN Apr 25 #8

It wouldn't surprise me if the count is higher than 2 that will buy it. BlueKota Apr 25 #50

If they do find POTUS immune... cactusfractal Apr 25 #12

"They'll none of them be missed..." ChazInAz Apr 25 #37

It's not a little list, though. It's a very long one. TheRickles Apr 25 #41

YES! We need them on the list! sdfernando Apr 25 #48

Thank you! I have been meaning to watch youtube for some of the many niyad Apr 25 #69

As a Savoyard ChazInAz Apr 25 #70

It pleases me to have niyad Apr 25 #71

As one does. ChazInAz Apr 26 #75

Oh my word!!! I can just imagine it!!! How utterly delightful. I wonder niyad Apr 26 #77

I own The Green Man Theater in Atchison, KS. ChazInAz Apr 26 #79

Actually, I just found a video of it from an AMTSJ* production. niyad Saturday #81

They should have NEVER allowed this clown show to see the court's light of day BumRushDaShow Apr 25 #14

Thank you Justice Sonya Sotomayor, we have all thought it you have asked it. republianmushroom Apr 25 #15

wow. Think. Again. Apr 25 #17

Ridiculous! nt AKwannabe Apr 25 #18

It seems as though they are simply revisiting all the same arguments the DC Court went through. Lonestarblue Apr 25 #19

Kirschner's 'speculation' is that they want to issue a ruling to apply for the country Justice matters. Apr 25 #26

Why didn't he just say his lord & savior is above the law? KS Toronado Apr 25 #21

Foreshadowing orangecrush Apr 25 #23

He wants a putin-style government! Justice matters. Apr 25 #24

Looks like a good possibility moniss Apr 25 #27

JFC Evolve Dammit Apr 25 #28

The entire rightwing believes in the 'unitary executive' theory. The more sinkingfeeling Apr 25 #29

Depraved scum should be disbarred Mysterian Apr 25 #30

They should have asked would assassinating the Chief Justice be an official act if he was thought to be corrupt would be JT45242 Apr 25 #31

Democracy according to Machiavelli Marthe48 Apr 25 #32

This is insane. Silver Gaia Apr 25 #34

I'm disgusted that our SCOTUS would even HEAR such pablum, even entertain the notion. It should never have happened. keopeli Apr 25 #35

Trump will get his money's worth Deminpenn Apr 25 #36

Impeachment of the six should also be tried BlueKota Apr 25 #52

Is it two third to impeach Deminpenn Apr 25 #53

Yes two third in the Senate BlueKota Apr 25 #56

Heh heh. Maxheader Apr 25 #38

We need to pry the Federalist Society's.creepy little fingers offa our courts! Mopar151 Apr 25 #39

November 6, 2024, early morning... 3825-87867 Apr 25 #40

These people are dying for a long hospital stay, their butts shot full of antipsychotics Warpy Apr 25 #42

I think they know what they're claiming is hogwash but... Justice matters. Apr 25 #46

Hero worship combined with old time religion has descended them into lunacy Warpy Apr 25 #64

I believe they are waiting for all the bribes to finish filtering in.. Conjuay Saturday #82

This motherfucker's law school liberalhistorian Apr 25 #43

That's the same narcissistic strategy that Trump uses - destroy logic and common sense bucolic_frolic Apr 25 #44

So according to Trump's own lawyer BlueKota Apr 25 #47

"So you're saying Biden can have Trump killed?" "Not like that, I mean a Republican can do it." Swede Apr 25 #51

If that's the only argument they can use, they lost before they began. Martin68 Apr 25 #54

Repukes: Assassination against political opponents is fine sakabatou Apr 25 #57

What About Killing His Own Lawyer??? HandmaidsTaleUntold Apr 25 #58

Somewhat unrelated: doesn't Sauer understand that Trump never pays his lawyers? Rabrrrrrr Apr 25 #59

So Biden could have Trump killed to protect the country because SCOTUS refuses to? Freethinker65 Apr 25 #61

Well, ya know, that's a logical conclusion from assassination of foreign leaders as an "official" act. malthaussen Apr 25 #62

Lawyer is trying to make the dictator argument. BadgerKid Apr 25 #63

If the lowlifes on the formerly s.c. give traitor immunity Marthe48 Apr 25 #65

If the President's political opponent is corrupt, and he orders the military whopis01 Apr 25 #66

How ridiculous Rebl2 Apr 25 #67

It's shsmeful this SCOTUS even allowed such an appeal to be heard onetexan Apr 26 #72

Twilight zone . . . Imagine, if you will . . . Presidents have immunity from prosecution! Aussie105 Apr 26 #74