Former President Trump’s legal team suggested Tuesday that even a president directing SEAL Team Six to kill a political opponent would be an action barred from prosecution given a former executive’s broad immunity to criminal prosecution.

The hypothetical was presented to Trump attorney John Sauer who answered with a “qualified yes” that a former president would be immune from prosecution on that matter or even on selling pardons.

  • BaddDadd@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    Ask him if that means Biden can assassinate Trump. Then remind him of the concept of estoppel. Then Biden comes to their first presidential debate and places a .44 Magnum handgun on the podium, to see if Trump runs away like the little removed he is.

    • gregorum@lemm.ee
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      10 months ago

      “If Biden weren’t so weak, he’d assassinate me” is what he’s saying.

        • mrbubblesort@kbin.social
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          10 months ago

          yeah, most devils have fire and poison immunity. you’re gonna need a silver weapon or something that does holy damage

          • chaogomu@kbin.social
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            10 months ago

            Best I can do is a “Holy fuck, that’s a big gun”.

            For example, the Pfeifer-Zeliska .600 Nitro Express Revolver. It takes British made rifle rounds, each costing $40.

            Then there’s the Magnum Research BFR, .45/70 Government. It, too, takes rifle rounds. You can even get the BFR in .30-30 Winchester if you want.

            Note that shooting these handguns will require some serious arm and wrist strength, not something an older man would have. So best offload the task to his Secret Service.

            In which case, you might as well just go for a rifle. In which case, I’d suggest the .950 JDJ If that doesn’t count as holy damage, I don’t know what would.

    • Pipoca@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      That doesn’t quite work.

      Trump’s lawyers argument is that presidents are immune from criminal prosecution on any official act, even if that official act is illegal or unconstitutional; that the only remedy is impeachment.

      The judge brought up ordering seal team 6 to assinate a rival as an example of an obviously illegal official act. Trump’s lawyers response was “obviously he’d be impeached, but yeah, I guess if he weren’t he’d be immune from prosecution”.

      Shooting Trump at the debate would be a prosecutable private action, according to Trump’s lawyer. What Biden would have to do is to tell seal team 6 “If Trump gets on this stage, shoot him”.