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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAn unsettled contradiction at the heart of Trump's immunity claim
On immunity and impeachment, Donald Trump and his lawyers made one argument in 2021 and the opposite argument in 2024.
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https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/unsettled-contradiction-heart-trumps-immunity-claim-rcna149502
It is, to be sure, a difficult argument to take seriously. The presumptive GOP nominees defense counsel apparently expects the judiciary to agree that a former president might be subject to prosecution for some of the most outrageous felonies imaginable but only if a majority of the U.S. House and two-thirds of the U.S. Senate act first.
But its not just foolish. Its also the opposite of what the Republicans lawyers said during Trumps second impeachment trial. MSNBCs Chris Hayes was understandably exasperated by this as the oral arguments progressed.
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This might seem a little complicated at first glance, but its actually entirely straightforward:
In early 2021, Trumps lawyers said during his second impeachment trial that there was no need for the Senate to convict the former president, because the matter was better left to the judiciary.
In early 2024, Trumps lawyers said the former presidents alleged crimes cant be left to the judiciary, because the Senate didnt vote to convict.
......In other words, Team Trump effectively argued in 2021, Congress should leave such matters to the courts. Its now arguing, The matter cant be left to the courts because Congress needs to act.
How are the former president and his lawyers resolving the contradiction? By ignoring it and hoping others dont notice.
LetMyPeopleVote
(145,894 posts)Here is the video of TFG's impeachment counsel telling the Senate that TFG could be tried and convicted if the Senate did not convict TFG.
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lame54
(35,345 posts)Trumpers were on one half of the country demanding the vote count be stopped while on the other side of the country they were demanding the count continue
They are nothing but contradictions
sop
(10,297 posts)Mitch McConnell refused to hold a confirmation hearing for Merrick Garland after nominated by Obama to replace Scalia eight months before the 2016 election, saying "voters should decide which presidential candidate should pick the next justice." But when Justice Ginsburg's died 6 weeks before the 2020 election, McConnell said Trump's nominee to replace her "will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate."
malaise
(269,292 posts)Excellent point
LetMyPeopleVote
(145,894 posts)Last edited Sat Apr 27, 2024, 08:05 PM - Edit history (1)
We used to have to read the Congressional Record every day back in my college debate days
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Those were the days of electric type writers and memo graph machines