JUST IN: The move was widely expected after Trump's election victory, and is in line with longstanding Justice Department policy that says a sitting president cannot be indicted or tried on criminal charges.
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there is no precedent for this, do your job npr and report on that. give me one example, outside of a goddamn soap opera, of a private citizen escaping justice by becoming president.
Someone once told me that the supreme law of the land in the United States is that no one is above the law. At the time, I didn’t realize they were joking.
So, a "policy MEMO" interpretation allows a traitor who compromised some of our most sensitive secrets & who planned and executed the overthrow of our constitution and government, to once again hold the highest official in the land. Yeah, well I know another traitor and his name is Merrick Garland.
I knew in my heart that this would happen, so why does my heart feel broken now that it has?
Because I had hope that what I thought I knew in my heart would be wrong. But it wasn't. My heart broke because justice isn't blind.
At the end of Trump‘s reign. many of Trump’s cabinet and associates will be indicted for various criminal activity. Crime and Trump go together like helium and a balloon.
Smith has been lambasted by former federal prosecutors for numerous failures—especially about not getting Aileen Cannon removed. He’s no hero & we are being lulled to be passive about this.
It's only true if you stop fighting. I won't let Trump get away with literal treason he committed when he wasn't the president because the American people opted to put him back in power.
Mafia Don was able to escape justice by siphoning campaign contributions to pay his lawyers for a campaign of non-stop delay - abetted by the Roberts court. The system was rigged.
The MF got away with treason , he should’ve been arrested January 7, 2020. And now he’s gonna get his revenge and he doesn’t care who dies. He’s going to destroy America because we were too fucking weak to put him in jail. Grow a spine America
But has he dropped the appeal of the doc case or is going to seek to get that overturned so he can, as with here, have it dismissed WITHOUT prejudice to potentially re-file in the future.
His supporters cried “lawfare” and said the Democrats were using legal means to disrupt a political process. The truth is Trump used politics to disrupt a legal process. The election was all about making himself above the law. Sickening that it worked.
Ring that Trump has ignored every policy precedent, feels like if Garland/Smith had any guts they could just go forward. But again, our systems have failed and so I hope it all burns down. Be sadly ironic when Trump throws Smith in jail.
76 or 78 million citizens voted for a felon: 6 Supreme Court Justices voted for presidential immunity. 161 million workers go back to work. Workers understand when the circumstances favor the power imbalance in a situation, we just don't like it. Criminals like it. Justices ought to correct it.
Nope this is on Biden/DOJ for refusing to keep tabs on the election subversion/meddling plot that's been cooking for the past 4 years & Harris not demanding forensic audits/recounts
Make the incoming AG drop the charges. If this was the other way around they wouldn't drop the charges. I'm tired of Dems holding themselves to a different standard. Fight fire with fire, they want to burn the whole thing down? Fine, let's throw some gasoline on it.
Exactly!! The wimp ass Democrats either play by the rules (that the GOP don't abide by) or just fold. I swear sometimes I think they're this incompetent and spineless on purpose.
I’m not sure there will ever be a greater injustice inflicted on the people of America. They have the right to know if their president attempted an insurrection and the right for that president to be held accountable for acts against the people and against the constitution
lol how are you getting a republican house and senate to impeach?
Even if you somehow pulled a few in the house to do so (doubt) they have 53 republican senators in the upcoming congress and you need 2/3 of the senate to convict.
The only “realistic” way of convicting is a state court…
And that’s not happening either, they’ve already paused New York indefinitely. There is little chance they will try to order the arrest of a sitting president and if they did the Supreme Court would definitely strike it down.
As long as trump is president he is safe from prison.
Outrageous. They had 4 YEARS!!! Why didn’t the @deptofjustice.bsky.social go after trump right after the case was laid out beautifully by the #Jan6 committee? 😡😡😡😡
Just wondering if the shoe was on the other foot, if it would have remained a long standing policy? i.e. Always seems to be one rule for Democrats, another for the GOP. Plus it's a tradition, not actually a legal precedent.
More people didn’t vote at all than for either candidate. America’s Hitler ascends. His VP saw him coming and he spoke out against him before frogmarching with him. Yet Dems are still goldplating rules MAGA Nazis don’t care exist and fully intend to destroy. 🤷🏼♂️ *Make it make sense. *They can’t.
So disappointing but not a surprise. We have a justice system that is unjust. A useless SCOTUS. Why are citizens held to a higher standard that our justice system, POTUS and congress…rhetorical
It just goes to show you that there is truly a two tiered system of law in the United States. If you're wealthy and powerful, there really is no consequences for your actions.
Someone did not read the article. Now that the president has more immunity thanks to SCOTUS, they have to dismiss them. However, since they can dismiss them without prejudice, this isn’t the final decision, and they will be able to bring the charges back once his term/immunity is over.
This is my takeaway too. Statutue of limitations and getting people on board to litigate an old issue could be a problem, but he is very clearly propping the door open as a possibility.
The Democrats have only themselves to blame for the current makeup of the SCOTUS. They were the ones who changes the rules of the Senate to push through Obama's judicial nominations. Without that change Trump's nominees would never have been approved. Of course neither would Biden's nominee.
Reading is fundamental, Jim…
“Monday's filing is in line with longstanding Justice Department policy that says a sitting president cannot be indicted or tried on criminal charges because it would violate the Constitution and interfere with the working of the executive branch.”
The PRESIDENT didn’t decide this…🙄
Never mind that the option to prosecute is still a possibility after your tan-in-a-can messiah is done golfing in 2029… IF he’s not dead.
We can never tell our children that nobody is above the law. Our justice system is in shamble. The law has to be the same for everybody or it’s nothing.
The smallest minority group are billionaires and they have the most privilege. It’s not about minorities. It’s about class division and wealth consolidation. Racism and other forms of bigotry just happen to aid them in wealth consolidation and class war, they are not the point of it.
Racism is absolutely 100% a problem. I am not diminishing that in anyway or have any support for MAGA. Racism is a by product of Colonialism, Imperialism, and Capitalism, and to address racism in the way that would bring meaningful justice means targeting it roots. Capitalism and classism.
The one thing the all minority identities share is a systemic lack of access to power and capital that is there by design. Solidarity amongst all oppressed identities and classes is the only way out.
Racism exists within a bigger picture, not in a vacuum.
I realize when that rapist leaves this earth, he will reap what he's sown. But it is f*cking frustrating that we don't get to see him suffer any consequences for all he's done. Sickening and beyond frustrating. He couldn't be a worse person.
I'm so over people on one side "doing the right thing" or "following president" while the other side gets away with democracy destroying and illegal actions..... Turns out people truly are above the law and our constitution doesn't mean s***.....
Thus cementing the fact that in the u.s. justice system today, who you are and know, not your crime, determines the outcome. Exactly what is found in what potus elect refers to as s**h**e countries.
There is a part of me that feels like this was the intent all along. They had 4 years. Some of us knew, really, all along, that Trump would never really face justice. It would destabilize the system that works so well for their class.
? No it wouldn't lol. Trumps team kept finding ways to delay it before this... it's been delayed 3 times and the Supreme Court gave him immunity. They kept finding ways around this case and have been for a minute.
I still believe the only way through this division in America is accountability.
Unfortunately, the rich and powerful can delay and whittle away at accountability or get others to intervene until there is no accountability at all for them.
i lost all faith in the united states when *several participants of the coup* were allowed to vote on whether or not trump was guilty of that same coup. They were trying to overthrow democracy, but somehow allowed to participate in it?
Why? FuVKING Trump is so damn guilty! Any military person would be court martialed and sentenced to Death! Asshole Trump
gets away with stealing Secrets and Garland sits on his ass! Disgusting! Trump should be locked up! HE IS GUILTY!
As long as the sitting president says the murder was an official act, it wouldn't be a crime anyway, according to our corrupt SCOTUS. Probably, not stepping down wouldn't be considered a crime either if he claims it's for the greater good.
@npr.org funny how we have a Constitution, but #WeThePeople aren't allowed to use it. Section 3 of the 14th Amendment prohibits former government officials from holding public office again if they have "engaged in insurrection or rebellion" against the United States government. #Resist
Comments
Donald Trump again highlights two justice systems—one with accountability and another where wealthy white men face no consequences.
pretending otherwise normalizes this lawlessness
No one is above the law...until they become President.
The US justice department has just anointed a King.
Why’d you sit on your hands for so long?
This is his legacy.
The elite and powerful do not have to answer to anyone.
Because I had hope that what I thought I knew in my heart would be wrong. But it wasn't. My heart broke because justice isn't blind.
NO KINGS, NO MASTERS.
NO KINGS, NO MASTERS.
NO KINGS, NO MASTERS.
NO KINGS, NO MASTERS.
🇺🇸: hold my beer!
Fuck everything about this.
he is now above the law.
Lets see if Garland publishes.
The first thing his incoming AG would do is drop all the charges.
And actually DO SOMETHING TO HOLD THE MONSTER ACCOUNTABLE
The window thing is FAR more likely than him getting impeached by his own team
Even if you somehow pulled a few in the house to do so (doubt) they have 53 republican senators in the upcoming congress and you need 2/3 of the senate to convict.
The only “realistic” way of convicting is a state court…
As long as trump is president he is safe from prison.
#NoJustice! 😡
It worked.
It's why he ran in the first place.
Biden doesn't have a problem flouting the Supreme Court or Constitution when he chooses to.
And what a relief it is that the incoming administration holds our sacred documents and institutions in such high regard, isn’t it, Jim?
“Monday's filing is in line with longstanding Justice Department policy that says a sitting president cannot be indicted or tried on criminal charges because it would violate the Constitution and interfere with the working of the executive branch.”
Never mind that the option to prosecute is still a possibility after your tan-in-a-can messiah is done golfing in 2029… IF he’s not dead.
What started as an experiment in liberty may end in tyranny thanks to the actions of a few selfish leaders and an apathetic populace.
Both traits I would associate with evil.
Racism exists within a bigger picture, not in a vacuum.
There was just hate.
Now, there will be revenge.
I could see a Special Counsel named Matt Gaetz.
I just hope that the next 4 years aren't as bad as we're all thinking they will be.
Lol, I say. LMAO even.
Unfortunately, the rich and powerful can delay and whittle away at accountability or get others to intervene until there is no accountability at all for them.
The double standard is disgusting.
gets away with stealing Secrets and Garland sits on his ass! Disgusting! Trump should be locked up! HE IS GUILTY!
The only way out is through proletarian revolution.
https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/if-felons-can-run-felons-can-vote?source=web-share-api-button&utm_source=web_share_api&share=93d9871d-0825-407c-a9c2-15a4f5b4a8cc
Let the Big Macs do their job
The policy is idiotic.