Trump Self-Pardon Thread 1/
As I wrote my thread on Trump Prison, many responded speculating about a secret Trump Self-Pardon.
I can tell you. He has pardoned himself. Yes. Donald J Trump has given himself a self-pardon. Of COURSE he has. Absolutely yes.
Let's consider this
Trump Self-Pardon Thread 2/
Do not give me that stunned look. Of COURSE Trump has signed a pardon, for himself. A blanket pardon. It is secret, he has that document, waiting. Of course he did this. He may be stupid, he is not that much an idiot NOT to try this futile gambit.
Trump Self-Pardon Thread 3/
Intuitively all of us understand, it 'cannot be legal' for a President to self-pardon himself of crimes. It would place him above the law, make him in effect a King.
That all may be. But the CONSTITUTION does not FORBID him...
Trump Self-Pardon Thread 4/
So technically, the Constitution gives the President UNLIMITED power to pardon (not excluding himself). No President has ever attempted a self-pardon. It has thus NEVER been TESTED in the Supreme Court. Because it is NOT FORBIDDEN, Trump did it
Trump Self-Pardon Thread 5/
Trump's self-pardon will be laughed out of court, by the Supreme Court, on a unanimous decision. Unanimous. But Trump appointed 3 dudes to SCOTUS. Those were not Trump's boys, they were MITCH McCONNELL's conservative justices. They HATE Trump
Trump Self-Pardon Thread 6/
If any of SCOTUS were pals of Trump they would have voted FOR his silly election lie, to keep Trump in power after the election. They voted UNANIMOUSLY against Trump (twice). And against him on his taxes etc. Trump will lose this OBVIOUS pathetic ploy
Trump Self-Pardon Thread 7/
But Trump has NOTHING to LOSE by singing that one piece of paper. He is a gambler who has lost it all. He will grasp at ANY straws, including this futile gambit. Of COURSE he has a signed self-pardon. It is also WORTHLESS. Do not panic.
Trump Self-Pardon Thread 8/
First off, Trump's self-pardon will be IRRELEVANT in ANY court cases of STATE law. A President can only pardon for FEDERAL crimes. Trump will do a DECADE in prison on his New York state TAX crimes, alone. Ignoring ANY other crimes.
Trump Self-Pardon Thread 9/
There are a TON of state crimes awaiting Trump from embezzlement in DC & Maryland, to a slew of financial fraud in New York to election fraud in Georgia, NJ, Penna, to tax fraud in Illinois, California etc. Trump does DECADES for these STATE crimes
Trump Self-Pardon Thread 10/
Trump CAN use his self-pardon to attempt to buy time in FEDERAL crimes like the extortion of Ukraine (Giuliani) or the terrorist attack he organized against Congress (Jan 6) or the corruption and extortion related to his pardons schemes. Only DELAY
Trump Self-Pardon Thread 11/
If Trump DOES show his self-pardon, he can probably cause a DELAY in that Federal criminal case. As it then goes through the courts to SCOTUS. YEARS of delay. But Trump awaits that time IN PRISON for his STATE crimes
Trump Self-Pardon Thread 12/
It is much worse. A Pardon is an ADMISSION OF GUILT. If Trump USES the signed pardon, he is admitting he was guilty. It kinda ruins his brand. He cannot claim innocence while waving a pardon. And it exposes Trump for testimony AGAINST HIMSELF..
Trump Self-Pardon Thread 13/
Trump obsessed more about pardon power than ANY other Presidential power. He asked about it from EVERYONE, lawyer and layman alike. He plotted and schemed about pardons, and finally figured, for his OWN pardon to work, he cannot pardon Giuliani etc
Trump Self-Pardon Thread 14/
Do not be worried, or alarmed. Very likely at some point Trump will show his self-pardon. It will not prevent justice from being done. Trump goes to prison anyway. And it is possible, Trump never even SHOWS the pardon he gave himself :-)
PS on pardons.
Trump didn't secretly pardon Giuliani (he woulda shown that already). Trump would totally ruin everything by pardoning Beavis or Butthead Trump, who are knee-deep in state crimes and been singing in depositions.
Entitlement Barbie? Might JUST have kissed for one?
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