Originally published at: Fraud-convicted MAGA pastor advises Trump to stall until he can pardon himself | Boing Boing
…
2 Likes
But wait… shouldn’t ‘MAGA-pastors’ also recommend that trump commit a host of additional crimes, murder, rape (wait, he’s already done that), pillage (sorta that one too), prior to gaining the godlike power to pardon himself of any crime?
[gratuitous addendumdum] if trump-ies are so sure that a president has the power of self pardon, could they please be asked what would go amiss with Biden “eliminating a great risk to the republic” and subsequently pardoning himself for that murder…?
11 Likes
Maybe Donny can just walk on water all the way to the Holy Land.
(Never know what you’re capable of until you try!)
4 Likes
In his mugshots the dude looks like a thumb that has to go around his neighborhood telling people what he did in the last Parrish. Oof.
6 Likes
This is a great strategy in principle, but as POTUS, Trump can only pardon himself, if he can pardon himself at all, for federal crimes. Anything at state level – such as the Georgia investigation –, he’d still be on the hook for.
4 Likes
It’s not just him. This guy has a flock. WTFlock?
2 Likes
6 Likes
Well, he absolutely can pardon himself for federal crimes, and possibly for future federal crimes. Nixon was pardoned for all crimes committed during watergate AND any future crimes discovered and connected to it. So, that part, yeah, he can do it and probably wishes he had.
This is why I’m hoping for state crimes to get him. Well, I’m hoping he doesn’t survive until the elections because of his multiple health issues, but outside of that, go state crimes.
1 Like
That’s blasphemy.
5 Likes
It really is; these fasscholes clearly never read the book they profess to believe in so devoutly…
7 Likes
But how would President Biden lure Donald Trump to the middle of Fifth Avenue? /s
6 Likes
… first he has to get the media to start referring to Mar-a-Lago as a “compound” 
6 Likes
This is something that’s actually been determined then? Last time it came up it seemed like it was Schrödinger’s Law, nobody had ever opened the box to see if it was legal or not and they were hoping not to.
2 Likes
No, it absolutely has not been determined that a President can pardon himself. Most legal scholars think that can’t be what the framers intended because it would obviously put the President above the law in a similar way monarchs of the time were. But no President has attempted it, so SCOTUS has not decided that question. That question can only be answered after a President attempts to pardon themselves and someone sues over it. Now, how would the current SCOTUS decide such a case? I am 100% sure that Sotomayor, Kagan, and KBJ would say no, a President cannot pardon himself. I am 100% sure that Thomas and Alito would say that he can because the Constitution doesn’t explicitly say he can’t. That leaves Roberts, Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, and Barrett. They are harder to predict, but I would put money on Roberts siding with the liberal wing on this issue. I think Barrett would be more likely to side with Thomas and Alito on this, but I don’t really know. And I think Gorsuch and Kavanaugh go with Roberts, but I could be wrong. I really think, though, that a majority would say that a President cannot pardon himself. And I wouldn’t be shocked if it was 7-2 with Thomas and Alito being the only ones saying he can.
I don’t think we’re going to have to worry about this. I really don’t. I don’t think Trump is going to survive this indictment, politically. Every day, it seems, another Republican or two turns against him. There seems to be some momentum building for the GOP to finally abandon him.
ETA: I realize Trump’s poll numbers for the GOP nomination are up. When I say Republicans are turning against him I’m referring to politicians, not voters. Trump will probably still win the GOP nomination, but he’s not beating Biden.
5 Likes
Police describe Vaughn as a chameleon, changing his look and name repeatedly…
So, if he happens to “disappear for good”, no one would think it worthwhile to go looking for the… uh… for him.
6 Likes
The best outcome would probably be Trump running as an independent and splitting the GOP vote out of spite.
3 Likes
I saw the book cover on social media and had to verify it was not a joke.
Sure enough it’s on amazon, and I read a few pages. It’s every bit as bad as you could expect.
1 Like
I actually think it’d go the other way, and not because I’m cynical or anything. The Supreme Court’s lifetime appointment and priveledges are given in the constitution, and they’re pretty loathe to take a power given in it directly to a branch away from that branch and give it to another. Historically when it comes to something explicitly listed in the constitution as a power for a branch, they don’t mess with it , likely because they’re afraid of their own power being messed with. I could see their answer to this being a 8-1 or 9-0 upholding of the pardons with 2 or 3 dissenting on some specifics but not overall, namely that congress should be the ones to check the executive branch with limitations on and guidelines for pardons similar to how some states have pardon/parole boards. And then that would likely make its way back up for judgement.
When it comes down to taking power from a branch of government, the supreme court is pretty solidly united, politics aside, because they don’t want it taken from THEM.
1 Like
I really hate to have to add this, but “in a fair election”. I am in no way confident the next election will be fair.
2 Likes
It won’t. Remember though the last one wasn’t either, but Biden won anyway, and that can happen again too. People need to keep pushing both against the voting restrictions and the fascists that are for them.
3 Likes
