Trump Makes DANGEROUS CLAIM to SUPREME COURT
Summary
TLDRThe video script details a contentious debate before the United States Supreme Court, where Donald Trump's lawyers argue for absolute presidential immunity, even in extreme hypotheticals such as selling nuclear secrets, staging a coup, accepting bribes, or ordering military assassinations of political rivals. The justices press the lawyer on the implications of such immunity, questioning how it would not undermine the rule of law and the foundational principles of the United States. Justice Jackson powerfully challenges the notion that the president is above the law, emphasizing the importance of accountability for the highest office in the land. The discussion underscores the balance between the need for a president to act decisively and the potential for unchecked power to corrupt, reflecting on the historical context of the U.S. Constitution and the intent of its framers to prevent absolute immunity for the chief executive.
Takeaways
- 📚 Donald Trump's lawyers argued for absolute presidential immunity in the United States Supreme Court, claiming that Trump could theoretically engage in illegal activities such as stealing nuclear secrets, launching a coup, accepting bribes, or ordering military assassinations of political rivals without immediate legal consequences.
- 🏛 The Supreme Court justices questioned the plausibility of a president engaging in such activities and whether they would be considered 'official acts' protected by immunity.
- 🎓 Justice Sotomayor and Justice Kagan posed hypotheticals to Trump's lawyer, including creating a fraudulent electoral slate and staging a coup, to explore the boundaries of presidential immunity.
- 🤔 Trump's lawyer argued that certain actions, even if they were illegal, could be considered 'official acts' and thus insulated by immunity, requiring impeachment and conviction before criminal prosecution.
- 🚫 Justice Jackson expressed concern about the implications of such immunity, questioning whether it could lead to the president committing crimes with abandon, and emphasizing the importance of the rule of law.
- 🇺🇸 The discussion touched on the historical context of the United States, founded on the rejection of absolute power and the principle that no one is above the law.
- 🧐 Justice Alito's test and the Fitzgerald test were mentioned as frameworks for determining whether an act is an 'official act' and thus potentially immune from legal repercussions.
- 🤨 The lawyer for Trump emphasized the structural checks and balances in place, such as impeachment and oversight by Congress, as safeguards against presidential misconduct.
- 📉 Trump's appeal to the Supreme Court followed losses in lower courts, including a decision by the DC Circuit Court of Appeals.
- 📺 The video script is from a podcast by Ben Meis, who provided commentary and context to the oral arguments, highlighting the significance of the case and the potential consequences for the presidency and the rule of law.
- 🛒 The script also included a commercial for 3-Day Blinds, a company offering custom window treatments, which was unrelated to the main discussion about presidential immunity.
Q & A
What arguments were presented by Donald Trump's lawyers in the United States Supreme Court?
-Donald Trump's lawyers argued that he could commit acts such as stealing nuclear secrets, launching a coup, accepting bribes from foreign officials, and ordering the assassination of political rivals, while still claiming presidential immunity.
What legal concept did Donald Trump's lawyers use to defend his actions?
-Donald Trump's lawyers defended his actions using the concept of 'absolute presidential immunity,' which asserts that the President cannot be criminally prosecuted for actions taken while in office.
What was the outcome of Donald Trump's case in the lower courts?
-Donald Trump lost his case in the lower courts. The Federal Court in Washington D.C. and the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals both ruled against him, the latter with a 3-0 decision including from a conservative judge.
What specific question did Justice Sotomayor ask during the oral arguments?
-Justice Sotomayor asked if creating a fraudulent electoral slate would be considered an official act that a president could have immunity for.
What was the response to Justice Sotomayor's question about electoral fraud?
-Donald Trump's lawyer argued that the president's involvement in creating a fraudulent electoral slate could be seen as an official act, drawing a parallel with historical precedents such as President Grant's actions in the 1876 election.
How did Justice Kagan challenge the concept of absolute presidential immunity?
-Justice Kagan questioned whether ordering a military coup would fall under an official act for which a president could receive immunity, challenging the bounds of presidential powers and responsibilities.
What hypothetical scenario did Justice Kagan propose, and what was the lawyer's response?
-Justice Kagan proposed a hypothetical scenario where a president orders the assassination of a political rival. The lawyer responded that it would depend on the context and could possibly be considered an official act.
What stance did the lawyer take on the president selling nuclear secrets?
-The lawyer suggested that if a president structured the sale of nuclear secrets as an official act, he might still require impeachment and conviction before any criminal prosecution could proceed.
How did Justice Jackson challenge the distinction between private acts and official acts of a president?
-Justice Jackson explored the underlying assumption that official acts should receive immunity while private acts do not, questioning why the president should be exempt from following the law during official acts.
What concerns were raised about the potential consequences of granting absolute presidential immunity?
-The concern raised was that granting absolute presidential immunity could potentially embolden future presidents to commit crimes with impunity, turning the presidency into a seat of criminal activity without fear of legal repercussions.
Outlines
🏛️ Trump's Supreme Court Defense of Absolute Presidential Immunity
Donald Trump's lawyers argued at the Supreme Court that he should have absolute immunity for acts such as stealing nuclear secrets, accepting foreign bribes, or even assassinating political rivals. They presented their defense by comparing historical precedents and interpreting them as supporting absolute immunity. The argument unfolds through a series of hypothetical questions from Justices Sotomayor and Kagan, probing the limits of such immunity. The lawyers contended that even egregious acts could be protected under presidential immunity if deemed 'official acts.'
👨⚖️ Legal and Ethical Challenges of Presidential Actions
The focus shifts to the theoretical immunity for selling nuclear secrets and using the military for personal gains. Trump’s lawyer argues that if these actions are structured as official acts, they might be immune, requiring impeachment before prosecution. This part includes an advertisement for 3-Day Blinds, highlighting their current sales promotion and the convenience of their in-home consultation service.
📜 Supreme Court Deliberations on the Scope of Presidential Immunity
Justice Jackson challenges the distinction between private and public acts, questioning why a president performing official duties should not be held accountable like other citizens. The lawyer insists that the president must follow the law in official capacities, but the remedy for violations remains impeachment rather than criminal prosecution. The debate explores the balance between presidential authority and accountability, and the potential consequences of absolute immunity.
⚖️ Potential Risks of Unchecked Presidential Power
The discussion concludes with concerns about the risks of unchecked presidential power. It addresses historical perspectives on presidential immunity and the implications of allowing presidents to act without fear of criminal prosecution. The narrator expresses concerns about the erosion of democratic principles if presidents believe they can act with impunity, emphasizing the foundational American values of accountability and rule of law.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Supreme Court
💡presidential immunity
💡official act
💡constitutional checks
💡impeachment
💡Fitzgerald test
💡UCMJ
💡rule of law
💡bribery
💡political rivals
Highlights
Donald Trump's lawyers argued that he could commit acts such as stealing nuclear secrets and launching a coup without legal consequence, claiming absolute presidential immunity.
The arguments were made in the United States Supreme Court, representing a critical moment in the legal history surrounding presidential powers.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor questioned the plausibility of a president creating a fraudulent electoral slate and being immune from prosecution.
Trump's lawyer compared the situation to historical precedents like President Grant's intervention in the 1876 elections, but faced skepticism about the legitimacy and comparability of those actions.
Justice Elena Kagan inquired about the legality and immunity concerning a president ordering the military to stage a coup, highlighting the tension between presidential authority and unlawful orders.
The discussion included whether actions taken for personal gain, such as selling nuclear secrets or assassinating political rivals, could be considered official acts protected by immunity.
The debate extended to whether past actions by presidents, such as alleged assassinations ordered by President Obama for national security, compare to hypothetical criminal acts by a president for personal benefit.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson raised concerns about the implications of distinguishing between private and official acts of a president, questioning the underlying assumptions of absolute immunity.
The potential chilling effects on presidential decision-making were contrasted with the dangers of a president feeling emboldened to commit crimes if immune from prosecution.
The argument touched on historical perspectives from figures like George Washington and Benjamin Franklin on the prosecution of a chief executive, discussing the constitutional and philosophical foundations of presidential accountability.
The importance of structural checks like impeachment and public oversight was debated as safeguards against presidential misconduct.
The Supreme Court's handling of the case was positioned as pivotal for defining the scope of presidential power and its limits under U.S. law.
The transcript concluded with a call to action, emphasizing the societal and legal stakes involved in the Supreme Court's decision regarding Donald Trump's claims of immunity.
The discussion underscored a fundamental tension in American democracy: the balance between robust executive power and the need to curtail potential abuses of that power.
The legal discourse surrounding the case could potentially reshape the understanding and application of executive immunity in the United States.
Transcripts
Donald Trump's lawyers argued to the
United States Supreme Court earlier in
the day that Donald Trump could steal
nuclear secrets and sell them that
Donald Trump could launch a coup against
the United States that Donald Trump
could accept bribes from foreign
officials and that Donald Trump could
order the military to assassinate his
political Rivals Donald Trump's lawyers
were making that argument in the United
States Supreme Court folks I never
thought as someone living in the United
States of America that it would get to
this the very fact that those arguments
are being made before the United States
Supreme Court by a former president by
the Republican leader this is a travesty
and don't take my word for it let me
show you the key moments during the oral
argument I'm only going to break it down
so you can just see the key moments from
this oral argument where Donald Trump
was arguing for
absolute presidential immunity for his
conduct and trying to overthrow the
results of the 2020 election after
losing in the lower courts Trump lost in
December before a federal court in
Washington DC Trump appealed it to the
next level Court which is the DC Circuit
Court of Appeals a 30 decision against
Donald Trump including from a
conservative judge ruling against Donald
Trump trump then appealed that to the
United States Supreme Court here during
the oral arguments Justice Soto mayor
asked Donald Trump's lawyer is it
plausible to you that creating a
fraudulent electoral slate would
constitute an official act that you
could have immunity for play the clip
apply it to the allegations here what is
plausible about the
president assisting in
creating a uh a fraudulent slate of
electoral candidates assuming you accept
the facts of the complaint on their
face um is that plausible that that
would be within his right to do
absolutely RoR we have the historical
President we site in the lower courts of
President Grant sending federal troops
to Louisiana and Mississippi in 1876 to
make sure that the Republican electors
got certified in those two cases which
deliver the election to Ruther for be
Hayes the notion that it's completely
implausible I just can't be supported in
the face of this indictment or even
knowing that the Slate is fake knowing
that the Slate is fake that they weren't
actually elected that they weren't
certified by the state he knows all
those things the indictment itself
alleges I dispute that characterization
the the indictment fixes the word label
to the so-called fraudulent lectures it
fixes the word fraudulent but that's a
complete mischaracterization on the face
of the indictment it appears that there
was no deceit about who had emerged from
the relevant State Convention iions and
this was being done as an alternative
basis but I want next up Justice Kagan
asks Donald Trump's lawyer John sour
what about if a president orders the
military to Stage a coup is that an
official act for which a president
should receive immunity play the clip
How about if a president um orders the
military to Stage a
coup I think that as the Chief Justice
pointed out earlier where there is whole
series of you know sort
of guidelines against that so to speak
like the UCMJ prohibits the military
from following a plainly unlawful act if
one adopted Justice alito's test that
would fall outside now if one adopts for
example the Fitzgerald test that we
advance that might well be an official
act and he would have to be as I'll say
in response to all these kinds of
hypotheticals uh has to be impeached and
convicted before he can be criminally
prosecuted but I emphasize to the court
well he's gone let's say this president
who ordered the military to jaku he's no
longer president he wasn't impeached he
couldn't be impeached um but but he
ordered the military to stage jaku and
you're saying that's an official act uh
I think it would depend on IM I think it
would depend on the circumstances
whether it was an official act if it
were an official act again he would have
to be imp what does that mean depend on
the circumstances he was the president
he um uh is the Commander in Chief um he
talks to his generals all the time and
he told the generals I don't feel like
leaving office I want to Stage a coup is
is is that immune if if it's an official
act there needs to be impeachment and
conviction beforehand because the
framers viewed the RI that that kind of
it's an official Act is it an official
act if it's an official act it's Impe is
it an official act on on the way you
described that hypothetical it could
well be I I just don't know you'd have
to again it's a fact specific context
specific determination that answer
sounds to me as though it's like yeah
under my test it's an official act but
that sure sounds bad doesn't it well it
certainly sounds very bad and that's why
the framers have and that's why the
framers have a whole series of
structural checks that have successfully
for the last 234 years prevented that
very kind of extreme hypothetical and
next up Justice Kagan says well what if
a president sells nuclear secrets you're
Donald Trump's lawyer do you believe
that selling nuclear secrets to a
foreign adversary do you get immunity
for that is that the position that
Donald Trump is taking right now before
the United States Supreme Court play the
clip uh if a president sells nuclear
secrets to a foreign adversary is that
immune that sounds like similar to the
bribery example likely not immune now if
it's structured as an official act he
would have to be impeached and convicted
first before what does that mean if it's
structured as an official act well I
don't know in the hypothetical whether
or not that would be an official act you
probably have to have more details to
apply the Blazing game uh analysis or
even the Fitzgerald analysis that we've
been talking talking about what about if
a president decides to use the military
to assassinate political Rivals are you
saying that that is allowed are you
saying that President should get
absolute presidential immunity for that
is that Donald Trump's argument is that
what you are asking us to uh hold today
as the United States Supreme Court play
the clip can be alleged but it has to be
proven mum in say is a concept
um viewed as appropriate in law that
there's some things that are so
fundamentally evil that they have to be
protected
against now I
think and and your uh answer uh below
I'm going to give you a chance to say if
you stay by it if the president
decides that his
rival is a corrupt person
and he orders the military or orders
someone to assassinate him is that
within His official acts that for which
he can get immunity it would depend on
the hypothetical but we can see that
could well be an official act it could
and why because he's doing it for
personal reasons he's not doing it at
like President Obama is alleged to have
done it to protect the country from a
terrorist he's doing it for personal
gain and isn't that the nature of the
allegations here that he's not doing
them doing these acts in
furtherance of an
official responsibility he's doing it
for personal gain I I agree with that
characterization of the indictment and
that confirms immunity because the
characterization is that there's a
series of official acts that were done
for an on immunity says even if you did
it for personal gain we won't hold you
responsible what do you how could that
be that's an extremely strong Doctrine
in this Court's case law in cases like
Fitzgerald well we go back to Justice
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Justice Jackson I think really lays it
out here and says if the most powerful
person in the world can get away with
anything isn't that the most
anti-American concept like wasn't our
entire country founded on a
rejection of that principle watch This
brilliant uh argument by Justice katangi
Brown Jackson here play this clip okay
thank you justice Jackson so I think I
Now understand better your position um
in in your discussions with Justice
Kavanaugh became clear that you are
saying that for the private acts of a
president there's no immunity
but for the official acts the president
there is immunity is that your position
I agree with that all right um so one
thing that occurs to me is that this
sort of difficult line drawing problem
that we're having with all of these
hypotheticals is this a private act or a
Public Act um is being necessitated by
that assumption because of course if
official acts didn't get absolute
immunity then it wouldn't matter we
wouldn't have to identify which are
private and which are public correct
that in fact is the approach of the DC
circuit there's no determination that
needs to be but I'm just I'm just making
so to the extent we're worried about
like how do we figure out whether it's
private or public we have to we have to
understand that we're only doing that
because of an underlying assumption that
the public acts get immunity so let me
explore that assumption um why is it as
a matter of theory and I'm hoping you
can sort of Zoom way out here that the
president um would not be required to
follow the law when he is performing his
official acts everyone else everyone
else there are lots of folks who have
very uh high-powered jobs who make a lot
of consequential decisions and they do
so against the backdrop of potential
criminal prosecution if they should uh
break the law in that um capacity and we
understand and we know as a matter of
fact that the president of the United
States has the best loyal in the world
when he's making a decision he can
consult with pretty much anybody as to
whether or not this thing is criminal or
not so why would we have a situation in
which we would say that the President
should be making official acts without
any uh responsibility for following the
law I respectfully disagree with that
characterization the president
absolutely does have responsibility he
absolutely is required to follow the law
in all of his official Acts but the
remedy for that is the question could he
be subject to personal vulnerability
sent to prison for making a bad decision
after he leaves office but but other
people who have consequential jobs and
who are required to follow the law make
those determinations against the
backdrop of that same kind of risk so
what is it about the president um I mean
I've heard you say it's because the
president has to be able to act boldly
do you know make kind of consequential
decisions I mean sure but again there
are lots of people who have to make life
and death kinds of decisions and yet
they still have to follow the law and if
they don't they could be sent to prison
etc etc so I say two things in response
to that both from Fitzgerald that's the
very uh uh sort of inference or
reasoning that this court rejected in
Fitzgerald no but let me just Fitzgerald
was a civil situation in which the
president actually was in a different
position than other people because of
the nature of his job the high profile
nature and the fact that he touches so
many different things when you're
talking about private civil liability
you know anybody on the street can sue
him we could see that the president was
sort of different than the ordinary
person when you say should he be immune
from civil liability from anybody who
wants to sue him but when we're talking
about criminal liability I don't
understand how the president stands in
any different position with respect to
the need to follow the law as he is
doing his job than anyone else he he is
required to follow the law and what not
if there's no criminal prose if there's
no threat of criminal prosecution what
prevents the president from just doing
whatever he wants all the structural
checks that are identified in Fitzgerald
and a whole series of this Court's cases
that go back to Martin against mot for
example impeachment oversight by
Congress uh public oversight there's a
long series of them Fitzgerald directly
addresses this in the Civil context and
we think that langage naturally PS I'm
not sure that's that that that's much of
a back stop and what I'm I guess more
worried about you seem to be worried
worried about the president being
chilled I think that we would have a
really significant opposite problem if
the president wasn't chilled if someone
with those kinds of powers the most
powerful person in the world with the
greatest amount of authority um could go
into office knowing that there would be
no potential penalty for committing
crimes I'm trying to understand what the
disincentive is from turning the Oval
Office into um you know the the the the
seat of criminal activity in this
country uh I don't think there's any
allegation of that in this case and what
George Washington said is what Benjamin
Franklin said is we view the prosecution
of a chief executive as something that
everybody cried out against as
unconstitutional and what George
Washington said is we're worried about
factional Strife which will no I'm Al
let me let me let me put this worry on
the table if the potential for criminal
liability is taken off the table
wouldn't there be a significant risk
that future presidents would be
emboldened to commit crimes with abandon
while they're in office it's right now
the fact that we're having this debate
because olc has said that presidents
might be prosecuted um presidents from
the beginning of time have understood
that that's a possibility that might be
what has kept this office from turning
into the kind of uh crime Center that
I'm envisioning but once we say no
criminal liability Mr President you can
do whatever you want
I'm worried that we would have a worse
problem than the problem of the
president feeling constrained to follow
the law while he's in office yeah I
respect and folks that gets to the heart
of the matter for me you know we can
talk about complex legal doctrines and
you could watch Donald Trump's lawyer
trying to you know make comments about
well there are structural safeguards in
place it's just a bunch of word salad
are we a nation of law
are we a country of Law and Order are we
a country where no one is above the law
how was our country founded this is
simple stuff I like how Donald Trump
laer goes well there was a conversation
where Benjamin Franklin one said this
there was a another conversation where
Benjamin Franklin was speaking to this
person and are you aware that uh in page
20 two of George Washington's diary that
George Washington had mentioned
look basic history the United States of
America was founded on the concept of We
the People not the king we were founded
on the rejection of absolute immunity
it's very simple a rejection of the
arbitrary and Limitless power of of
Kings that's what our country was
founded on and that's why our country
had been a beacon for the rest of the
world Donald Trump has spent his life
breaking things Donald Trump has spent
his life destroying things and his final
Act is to destroy our constitution to
destroy the presidency to destroy Common
Sense the case is now with the United
States Supreme Court will'll see what
they do but I hope showing you what
Donald Trump's lawyer said just you
hearing it on your own crystallized for
you at the very least what's at stake
I'm Ben melis from the midest touch
Network hit subscribe let's get to 3
million subscribers together thanks for
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