Alito complains 'special' Trump shouldn't be 'subject to criminal laws like anybody else'
Source: raw story
David Edwards April 25, 2024 12:14PM ET
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito complained Thursday about the concept that a "special" former officeholder like Donald Trump could be expected to be "subject to the criminal laws just like anybody else."
Alito made the remarks to special counsel attorney Michael Dreeben during oral arguments in Trump's presidential immunity appeal to the high court. Trump's attorneys had argued the former president could not be charged with election interference because the office gave him immunity.
Dreeben, however, asserted Trump could be charged for trying to subvert the election.
"Well, Mr. Dreeben, do you really, I mean, the presidents have to make a lot of tough decisions about enforcing the law, and they have to make decisions about questions that are unsettled, and they have to make decisions based on the information that's available," Alito said.
"Do you really, did I understand you to say, well, you know, if he makes a mistake, he makes a mistake. He's subject to the criminal laws just like anybody else?"
"You don't think he's in a special, a peculiarly precarious position?" the justice asked.
..................
Watch the video below from the U.S. Supreme Court.
Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/samual-alito-trump-special/
Well, Alito should just put a crown of Trump if he thinks he is so special.
enough
(13,262 posts)I suddenly realized that these people actually believe that.
raging moderate
(4,309 posts)Not when anyone else is running it.
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(108,213 posts)That is all.
ShazzieB
(16,529 posts)Stuart G
(38,448 posts)Alito is not just an ass, he is an ass**le..
et tu
(911 posts)scotus snakes be slithering~
speak easy
(9,317 posts)He fully deserved to go to a special school.
DENVERPOPS
(8,845 posts)Colorado Supermax...............
And there is no internet or cell phones for prisoners.......
Dave Bowman
(1,881 posts)Think. Again.
(8,426 posts)"...presidents have to make a lot of tough decisions about enforcing the law..."???
Does he really think law enforcement is part of a President's responsibilities?
Do we really have a supreme court justice that is THIS uninformed about the structure of the U.S. government???
Brenda
(1,072 posts)Where are the adults? President Biden needs to respond to this shit.
riversedge
(70,306 posts)Marthe48
(17,031 posts)was going to double check what I thought I knew from high school government glass. JC. The dark money donors and fascists trying to dismantle are government don't seem to care what kind of morons are representing their interests. Well, if the fascists win this, they will crush their henchmen under their boot heels and piss on their remains.
sprinkleeninow
(20,263 posts)"They frame iniquity and call it law."
BlueMTexpat
(15,373 posts)is in the 18th century - pre-1776!
For him, George III would be "special" too.
I_UndergroundPanther
(12,480 posts)Appointees are not required to know the law. They arent required to prove worthiness or ethical competence or compassion. They get chosen voted in thats it. They can be totally sociopathic and a fascists pig and still be acceptable on the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has no requirements of anyone who becomes a justice and the constitution has no requirement or guidelines regarding Supreme Court justices. Tragic but true.
Think. Again.
(8,426 posts)...I just assumed they would have to at least be attorneys if not judges already.
That is tragic.
crud
(625 posts)there are crimes that ONLY a president can do. Ordinary citizens do not have the powers of a president. Doesn't mean he isn't subject to criminal law like everybody else. Alito turned the whole argument backwards.
24601
(3,963 posts)sitting President can pardon crimes against the US, issue lawful orders as Commander in Chief of our military forces, sign or veto legislation, nominate and, with Senate Advice and Consent, appoint Ambassadors, Justices, and Article III Judges.
I have heard people deride the words, " It's not illegal when the President does it." The more accurate statement is that some actions are legal only for the President. Of course, The President can also schedule a colonoscopy and have the acting President do all these things while he/she is asleep. I was surprised when Cheney, as acting President under the 25th Amendment, didn't pardon Libby since Bush had only commuted his sentence.
NowsTheTime
(701 posts)24601
(3,963 posts)took issue with Nixon? There are more people than I could reasonably quantify.
That said, it remains true that some actions (see my post # 49) are exclusive to a President, and anyone else attempting the action would find zero legal support. For example, consider a hypothetical Bernie Sanders declaring that he has pardoned Julian Assange for all past crimes against the United States. I don't see that argument progressing with any Article III Court.
Conversely, not everything a President does is accepted as within Presidential authority. If President Biden wakes up Saturday and announces that he has declared war against Russia, it would not be accepted as legal since the power to declare war is delegated to Congress (Article 1, Section, 8, Clause 11).
LiberalFighter
(51,096 posts)ancianita
(36,137 posts)HE thinks that no actions a president takes are outside the purview of "official acts."
That makes him irredeemably STUPID.
Picaro
(1,526 posts)AZ8theist
(5,495 posts)Then have Joe Biden throw your ass in Guantanamo for subversion.
(I know, I know........won't happen. But it would GLORIOUS!!)
aggiesal
(8,924 posts)AZ8theist
(5,495 posts)The fact one is dead makes no difference.....
Polybius
(15,488 posts)Smarter too, and a far better debater and arguer.
Polybius
(15,488 posts)In fact, at his hearing, a Democratic Senator slipped and called him Scalito.
barbtries
(28,811 posts)that this guy, who took women's rights away from them, now says "special" tsf should not be subject to the LAW, is on the highest court in the land. This land, that is supposed to be a nation of laws and not men!
i want my country back. it's never been perfect but it moved in that direction. now it's a clusterfuck, just a clusterfuck.
pack the court.
PSPS
(13,615 posts)we agree on what needs to happen
Srkdqltr
(6,323 posts)Besides Trump isn't president and the immunity isn't retroactive. Or they haven't said it was retroactive.
This whole thing is nuts.
Warpy
(111,352 posts)blathering on about the divine right of monarchs to rule without being subject to any but the laws of the church, and not often to them.
OhioTim
(259 posts)But I think Trump skates in all of these trials
Attilatheblond
(2,213 posts)Biden should off the lot of them.
aggiesal
(8,924 posts)Do I need to add the sarcasm thingee?
dlk
(11,578 posts)The zealots on the courts have shown us who they really are and, sadly, they don't value our democracy.
Hermit-The-Prog
(33,442 posts)bluestarone
(17,051 posts)IM fucking PEACHED!!
coprolite
(182 posts)I wish Joe would make them irrelevant by adding a few more Justices to the Court.
Midnight Writer
(21,803 posts)Kablooie
(18,641 posts)That's in the Constitution, you know.
intheflow
(28,504 posts)Rewriting the constitution like out of the Animal Farm Playbook.
Kablooie
(18,641 posts)We are living an Animal Farm reality.
Orwell warned us.
jalan48
(13,887 posts)Dave Bowman
(1,881 posts)They believe that they belong to a very exclusive club where all the members are above the law. Seeing an ex pResident having to face the music is making them very nervous, despite the fact that they well know that DumbDump is a despicable treasonous scumbag.
soldierant
(6,927 posts)If he thinks that, he cannot possibly judge impartially. And that is dirctly related to his ability to do his job.
Joyce Vance points out that the justices respond to hypotheticals fairly well, particularly when they get personal or close to it. Someone should ask,
"So you are saying that President Biden should be able tp kill you and face no penalty?"
Kablooie
(18,641 posts)I'd avoid Time Square.
Trump might be there, shooting visitors to make himself feel better since the Supreme Court may say it's his right a president.
cstanleytech
(26,319 posts)LiberalFighter
(51,096 posts)Haggis 4 Breakfast
(1,454 posts)cstanleytech
(26,319 posts)Because that's essentially what they would be doing as a President could then just send assassination squads out to bump them off.
sinkingfeeling
(51,474 posts)should be free to violate our laws?
Aussie105
(5,436 posts)Did Alito complain about Nixon or Clinton being given the treatment?
Something in it for Alito in considering being kind to Trump, I wonder what it is?
There is a deeply felt belief amongst the MAGAt hardliners that a second Trump presidency somehow holds benefits for them.
There aren't.
Sancho
(9,070 posts)He could share a cell with the orange idiot. Of course, it would be an official act!!
Rhiannon12866
(206,072 posts)doc03
(35,378 posts)a president could kill a political opponent. It is ridiculous, he should have been laughed out of court. But they
are seriously considering such a ridiculous argument. I think the so-called liberals should have just walked out.
Then we have that fat ass toad Barr saying he will still vote for Trump, it is beyond comprehension.
C_U_L8R
(45,021 posts)Alito wants to go all the way back to the good ole pre-Constitution ruled-by-a-tyrant days.
republianmushroom
(13,701 posts)Rebl2
(13,561 posts)think Alito should get some special attention, like being removed from the SC!