Trump says he can pardon himself

Why would Trump even mention pardoning himself if he is innocent? (I think he’s guilty of something.)

You don’t need to be a lawyer to understand why courts would never uphold a president’s power to commit crimes and then pardon himself for them. https://t.co/muxS9HasBs

— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) June 4, 2018

President Nixon asked the Department of Justice if he could pardon himself. They said no, as no one may be the judge in their own case. He resigned three days later.

In case you want to follow the Nixon model, that would be Thursday. https://t.co/5ntHaySTBJ

— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) June 4, 2018

Who are these numerous so-called “scholars”? Did they all graduate from Trump University Law School? Why are you and Rudy even floating this hot air balloon? https://t.co/jyXLSWfskT

— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) June 4, 2018

Additions to the Trump Wannabe Despot Checklist (which is already long and getting longer by the day):
✓Assert that rule of law does not apply to himself
✓Insist that he has the power to pardon himself
✓Call a lawfully appointed Special Counsel investigation “unconstitutional” https://t.co/smCXCxBjlb

— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) June 4, 2018

Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley just told me this: “If I were president of the United States and I had a lawyer that said I could pardon myself, I think I would hire a new lawyer.”

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 4, 2018

Today, President Trump has made a claim of immunity from criminal wrongdoing – in office and out – more sweeping than anything dared by Richard Nixon. He's not just a Twitter troll, even if he acts like it. Time for hearings on this radical new claim of POTUS power to break law

— David Frum (@davidfrum) June 4, 2018

I ask Ted Cruz if he agrees with Trump that the president can pardon himself. Cruz is silent for eighteen (18!) seconds before telling reporters it’s not a constitutional area he’s studied.

— Haley Byrd (@byrdinator) June 4, 2018

Schumer on floor: "If a president can pardon himself, it's virtually a monarchy … If presidents had the power to pardon themselves, we'd no longer be a democracy." If presidents were beyond reach of probes, one could "engage in rife corruption, self-dealing without consequence"

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 4, 2018

The President of the United States is threatening to pardon himself in order to undermine an independent investigation. His lawyers are arguing that obstruction of justice doesn't apply to him. And the governing party watches silently from Congress. This is a recipe for tyranny.

— Robert Reich (@RBReich) June 4, 2018

Corker on Trump's claim he could pardon himself:
"I can't imagine a president even bringing that up. I don't know where that comes from and I can't imagine even referencing that."

— Erica Werner (@ericawerner) June 4, 2018

The President’s assertion that he can pardon himself comes in the context of a number of stunning assertions by his lawyers… https://t.co/1kEFKu26zm pic.twitter.com/8lXOAWyTPe

— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) June 4, 2018

The constitutionality of a self-pardon remains largely undiscussed/unreviewed because it's never occurred to any President to **publicly** suggest something so obviously corrupt.

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) June 4, 2018

Schumer: "As the DOJ Legal Counsel wrote 4 days before Nixon resigned, 'Under the fundamental rule that no one may be a judge in his own case, the president cannot pardon himself.' This is virtually indisputable … The president does not have the right to pardon himself."

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) June 4, 2018

Nice refresher here from @seanilling with my and other legal scholars' hot takes on a presidential self-pardon https://t.co/9xTtp0BC7B

— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) June 4, 2018

The Supreme Court long ago ruled that accepting a pardon is an admission of guilt. If Trump tries to pardon himself, not only will it be struck down, it can be used as evidence of his guilt once he’s put on trial. So by all means, Donald, please proceed.

— Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) June 4, 2018

By saying he has an absolute right to pardon himself, @realdonaldtrump continues to act like a dictator or an absolute monarch. In a democracy, no one is above the law, including him.

— Senator Mazie Hirono (@maziehirono) June 4, 2018

Pardon me, Mr. President, but you really should shut up about pardoning yourself https://t.co/GzPpEdm4a4 (via @latimesopinion) pic.twitter.com/Iffq1nZd8M

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) June 4, 2018

Sen. Collins says of Trump pardoning himself: "There's no doubt that if the president were ever to pardon himself it would have catastrophic implications for him and our country." She declines to say whether she thinks it would be an impeachable offense

— Jeremy Herb (@jeremyherb) June 4, 2018

Samantha Bee and the use of “c***”

Samantha Bee was wrong to use the word “c***” to describe Ivanka Trump. She has apologized for it.

Let’s remember Trump has used the same word:

This article reminds us that Trump has used it to describe at least three women.

And so did many of his supporters:

FWIW, the word Samantha Bee used (and other such words) was emblazoned on many a T-shirt worn and sold at Trump rallies throughout 2016 campaign https://t.co/3QcRfauoVA

— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) June 1, 2018

So the conservatives who have been calling Hillary Clinton a “cunt” for twenty-five years are now offended that Samantha Bee said the same thing about Ivanka Trump?

— Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) May 31, 2018

That doesn’t make what Samantha Bee did right. It just means that it is hypocritical for Trump to criticize her for it.

Sad!

It’s always about Trump

Trump did not condemn Roseanne Barr’s racists tweets. Instead, he used it as an opportunity to make the issue about himself and demand apologies.

Trump is a racist as he has shown repeatedly so it’s not surprising he didn’t disagree with Barr’s tweets. He has no interest in uniting the country. He only cares about his base.

Not all Trump supporters are bigots but I think a lot of them are. He didn’t attack Barr’s remarks so he wouldn’t offend them. I don’t blame Trump for Barr’s tweets but he has created an environment where bigots are more open because of his encouragement.

Sad!

Trump lies about the Comey firing

Trump today tweeted that he did not fire Comey because of Russia. There’s lots of proof in his own words that he did. He’s a pathological liar!

Not that it matters but I never fired James Comey because of Russia! The Corrupt Mainstream Media loves to keep pushing that narrative, but they know it is not true!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2018

“I just fired the head of the F.B.I. He was crazy, a real nut job. I faced great pressure because of Russia. That’s taken off.” — Donald Trump to Sergey Lavrov and Sergey Kislyak https://t.co/L3KDlRui8y

— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) May 31, 2018

Sad!

Trump’s tweets about the Russia investigation

This analysis states “What Trump’s tweets read like is someone who has fixated on the idea that he is being unfairly persecuted by people who have never liked him and will do anything to keep him from being successful. “

Trump’s disgusting Memorial Day tweet

Trump’s Memorial Day Tweet was bad, even by his low standards. As usual, it was all about him. He claims to support the military but he didn’t pay their salaries in the years he didn’t pay taxes. He has been horrible to the Khan family, who lost a son in military service, and to John McCain.

As far as I know, nobody related to Trump has even been in the military service. I was not in the military but I think most families (including mine) have someone in their family who has served. I don’t think he understands the sacrifices many of these families have made.

Here’s the tweet:

Happy Memorial Day! Those who died for our great country would be very happy and proud at how well our country is doing today. Best economy in decades, lowest unemployment numbers for Blacks and Hispanics EVER (& women in 18years), rebuilding our Military and so much more. Nice!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 28, 2018

Here is an analysis and other reactions on Twitter:

It’s impossible to speak for thousands of war dead. And it’s disrespectful to co-opt their sacrifice for politics – on this somber day of remembrance or any other day. https://t.co/32lBmNblrV

— Brianna Keilar (@brikeilarcnn) May 28, 2018

Well, there’s no doubt that Donald Trump wrote THIS #MemorialDay tweet. Not a single word thanking the brave veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and the freedoms we hold dear. Instead, Trump somehow found a way to make this all about himself. Beyond pathetic. pic.twitter.com/P8ePbkNK0J

— Jon Cooper 🌊 (@joncoopertweets) May 28, 2018

This is the most inappropriate #MemorialDay comment that a @POTUS has ever made. Self-promotion on a day to remember the fallen, and wishing those remembering their deceased loved ones a “happy” holiday is appalling. #CadetBoneSpurs pic.twitter.com/kRse4dnwiu

— VoteVets (@votevets) May 28, 2018

This is from one of the most highly respected military officers there is (now retired). And a former DHS spokesman under President Trump brought on by John Kelly when there. And years of service at the Pentagon and overseas. https://t.co/RTc3CDKeZ4

— Martha Raddatz (@MarthaRaddatz) May 29, 2018

1/2 The revulsion at Trump’s “Nice!” / “would be very happy” Memorial Day tweet is well founded. https://t.co/wuhfLydquq

— James Fallows (@JamesFallows) May 28, 2018

2/2 Here is the way American presidents usually speak on this occasion. This happens to be statement from Carter that I worked on, but no diff in tone from Reagan, the Bushes, Clinton, Obama. Anyone else. pic.twitter.com/YKrImeeN6H

— James Fallows (@JamesFallows) May 28, 2018

Trump’s Memorial Day tweet is terrible but it’s actually an improvement over 2015 when he definitely had no idea what Memorial Day was https://t.co/yEPot6s8bi

— Dan Amira (@DanAmira) May 28, 2018

So in case you were wondering if Trump would make Memorial Day about him https://t.co/Ndrg9TJfrW

— Spencer Ackerman (@attackerman) May 28, 2018

update:

.@MarkHertling tells me why he’s “seething” on Memorial Day 🇺🇸: “the president doesn’t understand the sacrifices of anyone.” https://t.co/xn1JxsJywI

— Brooke Baldwin (@BrookeBCNN) May 28, 2018

Trump’s latest effort to discredit the 2018 elections

I have said before that Trump will try to discredit the results of the 2018 congressional elections if the Democrats win. His latest effort is a tweet saying the Mueller team will meddle in the elections.

There is absolutely no basis for this. It follows his claim that millions of illegal votes were cast in California and Republican claims that there were many illegal votes in Pennsylvania.

Here’s an analysis from the Washington Post which states: “It’s possible Trump is… looking around for a reason to cast doubt on the results of an election in which his side potentially loses.”

I really believe that Trump will try to invalidate the results if the Democrats win the House and or Senate. This is just groundwork for that.

Sad!

Trump’s policy is separating children from families

Trump lied when he tried to blame the Obama and the Democrats for his own policy of separating children from families when they try to enter the US.

Do not let them gaslight you. If your timeline is filling up with lies pinning the child snatching policy on President Obama rather than the Trump administration which launched it, remember what you actually know. https://t.co/X2oVtCmIU6

— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) May 27, 2018

The Trump DHS policy

Trump’s original lie:

Put pressure on the Democrats to end the horrible law that separates children from there parents once they cross the Border into the U.S. Catch and Release, Lottery and Chain must also go with it and we MUST continue building the WALL! DEMOCRATS ARE PROTECTING MS-13 THUGS.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 26, 2018

Trump claims Democrats colluded with Russia

It’s just another lie meant to distracts us.

This is the 13th time Trump has made this false claim about Democrats colluding with Russia. It’s complete nonsense.

The White House argument is that Democrats colluded with Russia by funding research that used Russian sources to try to find out if there was Trump collusion. pic.twitter.com/Aqi50QV6T1

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) May 26, 2018

Calling a lie a lie

There are lots of tweets today on the issue of whether Trump’s lies should be called “lies”or something milder like “false statements”. Tweeters criticized the media for not calling his statements lies when they are untrue.

Some of the issues raised by those who don’t want to call them lies are:

we don’t know his intentions
he believes the stuff he says

I think he is a pathological liar and he wins if his lies are not called lies. If he believes this crap, that’s a big problem too. All politicians lie but this is not normal and we can’t forget that.

Here are some of the best tweets I saw today:

I understand the claim that it’s *possible* that Trump is either a) so unhinged or b) so ignorant that, occasionally, some of his seeming lies might be “unintentional falsehoods.” But both those possibilities are even worse, given that he has sole authority over nuclear weapons.

— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) May 27, 2018

But a political movement can't win battles in the news pages that it loses at the ballot box. That will remain true even if you persuade every reporter in Washington to auto-fill the word "lie" every time the president says something untrue.

— Nick Confessore (@nickconfessore) May 27, 2018

I think some criticism on left of colleagues like @maggieNYT is rooted in the frustration of not having any actual power in Washington right now, and few concrete ways of stopping or opposing Trump.

— Nick Confessore (@nickconfessore) May 27, 2018

I have written stories about his lies, falsehoods, whoppers, half-truths, salesman-like stretches. The reality is that what he does can be hard to label because, as anyone who has worked for him will tell you in candor, he often thinks whatever he says is what’s real. https://t.co/0gJbgzgbjK

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) May 27, 2018

I think basically all big U.S. papers are too cautious in using “lie” with Trump – it’s warranted in many cases – and that they devote too little coverage to the lies. That doesn’t mean they should call every false claim a lie.

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) May 27, 2018

When Trump makes up a fictional phone call from the head of the Boy Scouts, there’s no word for that but lie. When Trump is wrong about policy, he is often clearly lying, but other times he seems ill-informed.

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) May 27, 2018

The term is not the central issue, in my view. What’s most important is consistent coverage of the dishonesty, consistently treating it as a major story, consistently calling it out in basic news coverage rather than leaving it to fact-checkers. That’s what’s too often missing.

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) May 27, 2018

Here's the thing about the reluctance to use the word "lie."

It is just true that many journos still won't publicly acknowledge the true depths of bad faith & illiberal authoritarianism at core of Trump-era conservatism's posture towards the media.

And this does mislead people.

— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) May 27, 2018

This cynicism is the biggest advantage Trump has on any number of fronts, based on same experience. “All politicians lie/have conflicts of interest/sic gov on opponents” etc, even “collude with foreign rivals.” Accurately rebutting puts you in position of defending hated pols.

— Benjy Sarlin (@BenjySarlin) May 27, 2018

Trump says the FBI never contacted him about Russia during the campaign. Not ignorance about briefings but direct knowledge. So when he says he was never contacted, that is a lie. Period. The word that should be used by reporters. https://t.co/Am703eRtqu

— Norman Ornstein (@NormOrnstein) May 27, 2018

“Demonstrable falsehoods” Maggie— please— our country is in crisis— speak PLAINLY. Instead write “PROVEN LIES.” If you won’t please explain why. https://t.co/FnBtzbbWUi

— Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) May 26, 2018