Trump Makes DANGEROUS CLAIM to SUPREME COURT

MeidasTouch
25 Apr 202419:08

Summary

TLDR本视频中,唐纳德·特朗普的律师在美国最高法院辩论称,特朗普总统可能拥有绝对的总统豁免权,可以免受任何行为的法律追责,包括窃取核机密、接受外国贿赂、发动政变或暗杀政治对手等。通过对法庭辩论关键时刻的解析,视频揭示了这一主张的潜在危险性和对美国法治的威胁。最后,视频强调了保持总统行为合法性的重要性,并呼吁观众订阅,共同关注这一案件的后续发展。

Takeaways

  • 📚 特朗普的律师在最高法院主张特朗普可能进行的行为,包括窃取核秘密、发动政变、接受外国官员贿赂以及命令军队暗杀政治对手,这些论点在法庭上被提出。
  • 🏛️ 在最高法院的口头辩论中,大法官们对特朗普律师提出的“绝对总统豁免权”进行了质询,包括对于创建欺诈性选举人名单、发动政变、出售核秘密和暗杀政治对手等行为的豁免权问题。
  • 🎤 特朗普的律师在回应大法官的假设性问题时,表示某些行为如果是“官方行为”,则可能享有豁免权,但需要先经过弹劾和定罪。
  • 🤔 法官们对于如何界定“官方行为”和“私人行为”表示担忧,因为这涉及到是否给予总统绝对豁免权的问题。
  • 👑 法官们提出,如果总统的官方行为不受法律约束,那么如何保证总统不会滥用权力,尤其是在没有刑事起诉威胁的情况下。
  • 🚫 特朗普的律师强调,尽管总统需要遵守法律,但对于其官方行为的不当决定,应在总统任期结束后才追究责任。
  • 🤨 法官们对律师的论点表示怀疑,认为这可能导致总统职位变成犯罪活动的中心。
  • 👍 法官杰克逊强调,如果世界上最有权势的人可以为所欲为,这将是最反美的概念,我们的国家建立在法律面前人人平等的原则之上。
  • 🇺🇸 法官杰克逊提出,如果官方行为获得绝对豁免,那么就不需要区分是私人行为还是公共行为,这引发了对于总统权力的深入讨论。
  • 🧐 法官们考虑了历史先例,包括美国总统格兰特派遣联邦军队确保共和党选举人被认证的案例,来评估总统行为的合法性。
  • 📉 特朗普在下级法院中败诉,包括在华盛顿特区的联邦法院和DC巡回上诉法院中的败诉,之后他将案件上诉至最高法院。
  • 📢 该视频还包含了对3-day blinds的商业广告,这表明视频内容可能来源于某个播客或带有广告的节目。

Q & A

  • 唐纳德·特朗普的律师在哪些场合提出了关于总统绝对豁免权的论点?

    -唐纳德·特朗普的律师在联合州最高法院的口头辩论中提出了关于总统绝对豁免权的论点。

  • 特朗普的律师在辩论中提到了哪些历史事件来支持他们的观点?

    -特朗普的律师提到了总统格兰特在1876年派遣联邦军队到路易斯安那州和密西西比州以确保共和党选举人得到认证的历史事件。

  • 在辩论中,如果总统下令军队发动政变,这是否被视为官方行为?

    -特朗普的律师认为,如果总统下令军队发动政变,这可能取决于情况是否属于官方行为。如果按照官方行为来定性,那么在总统离任后,他需要先经过弹劾和定罪才能受到刑事起诉。

  • 关于总统是否会因为出售核秘密给外国对手而获得豁免,特朗普的律师是如何回应的?

    -特朗普的律师表示,如果总统出售核秘密给外国对手,这可能不会被视为可以获得豁免的行为,但如果这种行为被构造为官方行为,那么总统需要先经过弹劾和定罪。

  • 在辩论中,如果总统使用军队暗杀政治对手,这是否会被视为官方行为?

    -特朗普的律师认为这将取决于具体情况。如果总统为了个人原因而非官方责任这么做,那么这可能不会被视为官方行为。

  • 最高法院的法官们对特朗普律师提出的绝对豁免权论点提出了哪些质疑?

    -法官们质疑了如果总统的官方行为得到绝对豁免,那么如何区分官方行为和私人行为,以及这种豁免是否会使得总统在任期内无所顾忌地犯罪。

  • 法官杰克逊在辩论中提出了哪些关键问题?

    -杰克逊法官询问了关于总统的官方行为和私人行为的区分,以及为什么总统在执行官方行为时不需要遵守法律。她还表达了对于总统可能滥用权力的担忧。

  • 特朗普的律师如何回应杰克逊法官关于总统可能滥用权力的担忧?

    -特朗普的律师提到了历史上的先例和结构性保障措施,如弹劾和国会的监督,作为防止总统滥用权力的手段。

  • 在辩论中,特朗普的律师是否认为总统在任期内可以无视法律?

    -特朗普的律师不同意总统可以无视法律的观点,他们认为总统在执行官方行为时绝对有责任遵守法律。

  • 特朗普的律师在辩论中提到的“结构性保障措施”是指什么?

    -所提到的“结构性保障措施”包括弹劾程序、国会的监督、公众监督等,这些都是用来确保总统在任期内不会超越法律的机制。

  • 为什么杰克逊法官对于总统可能获得的绝对豁免权表示担忧?

    -杰克逊法官担忧的是,如果总统的行为得到绝对豁免,那么最强大的人将能够逃避任何惩罚,这与美国的法律原则相违背,可能会导致总统滥用权力。

Outlines

00:00

😮 特朗普律师在最高法院的争议辩护

特朗普的律师在美国最高法院辩称,特朗普即使出卖核机密、策动政变、接受外国贿赂或下令暗杀政敌,也应享有总统豁免权。这场论战基于特朗普试图推翻2020年选举结果的行为。在经历了多级法院的败诉后,此案最终上诉至最高法院。法庭上,多名法官通过假设性问题探讨了总统行为的法律界限,而特朗普的律师则坚持总统行为的绝对豁免权。这些争议凸显了法律对于总统职权的解释与限制的复杂性。

05:00

🤔 最高法院审理特朗普豁免权的激烈辩论

在美国最高法院的辩论中,讨论集中于总统是否应对其行为享有绝对豁免权。法官们询问了一系列极端情景,包括总统是否可以在不受惩罚的情况下出售核秘密或指令暗杀政治对手。特朗普的律师在回答中试图区分官方行为和私人行为,指出只有在官方行为中总统才可能享有豁免权。这一段通过描绘法院对这一问题的深入审查,反映出对总统权力的法律界定存在广泛的争议和挑战。

10:02

🧐 法官对总统豁免权的质疑

法官杰克逊通过与特朗普律师的对话,深入探讨了总统行为的公私界限,并质疑为何总统的官方行为应享有绝对豁免权。讨论触及到如果总统行为不受法律制约,可能导致滥用权力的严重后果。杰克逊法官强调,其他重要职位的人员在作出重大决策时仍需承担法律责任,质疑为何总统在执行官方职务时应有不同待遇。此外,她指出,如果没有刑事责任的威胁,总统可能会滥用职权。

15:03

😡 特朗普律师对官方行为的解释引发争议

本段视频强调了总统豁免权讨论的核心问题,即总统是否应对其官方行为完全免责。特朗普的律师在回答中似乎表明,在其定义下,即使是总统明显滥用职权的行为,也可能被视为官方行为并因此免受起诉。这种观点引发了广泛的法律和道德争议,关乎美国是否仍是一个法治国家。视频结束时强调了法治和反对无限权力的重要性,这是美国建国的基石。

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Donald Trump

唐纳德·特朗普是美国的前总统,视频中讨论了他的律师在最高法院的辩护情况。这个关键词与视频的主题密切相关,因为整个讨论都是围绕他的潜在行为及其法律后果展开的。

💡United States Supreme Court

美国最高法院是美国司法体系中的最高机构,视频中提到唐纳德·特朗普的律师在此法院进行辩护。这个关键词体现了视频讨论的法律层面的重要性和严重性,因为它涉及到对美国宪法和法律原则的解释。

💡absolute presidential immunity

绝对总统豁免权是指总统在执行公务时可能不受某些法律限制或起诉的权利。视频中对此进行了讨论,特别是在探讨总统是否可以从事非法行为而不受到惩罚的情况下。这个概念是视频讨论的核心,因为它关系到法律对最高行政官员的限制。

💡coup

政变是指通过非法手段推翻现有政府的行为。视频中提到了一个假设性问题,即总统是否可以命令军队发动政变。这个关键词揭示了对权力滥用的担忧,并且是评估总统行为合法性的一个重要考量点。

💡nuclear secrets

核秘密指的是与核武器或核技术相关的保密信息。视频中提出了一个假设,即总统是否可以出售核秘密给外国对手。这个关键词突显了国家安全和总统行为可能带来的严重后果。

💡political rivals

政治对手指的是在政治竞争中与总统持不同意见或立场的人物。视频中讨论了关于总统是否可以利用军事力量暗杀政治对手的问题。这个关键词体现了对权力滥用和政治迫害的担忧。

💡impeachment

弹劾是指对公职人员进行的正式控告和审判过程,特别是针对高级官员如总统的不当行为。视频中提到,如果总统的行为构成官方行为,他可能需要先经过弹劾和定罪才能受到刑事起诉。这个关键词是视频讨论中关于如何对总统不当行为进行法律追责的一个重要部分。

💡official acts

官方行为指的是总统在其职权范围内进行的行为。视频中多次提到这个概念,特别是在讨论总统是否可以因官方行为而获得豁免权的时候。这个关键词是理解视频讨论中关于法律和宪法权力平衡的核心。

💡constitutional

宪法的,指的是与国家宪法相关的原则、规定或解释。视频中讨论了总统的行为是否符合宪法原则,以及宪法对总统权力的限制。这个关键词强调了宪法在美国法律体系中的根本地位。

💡checks and balances

制衡是指政府不同部门之间的相互监督和限制机制,以防止任何一个部门的权力过大。视频中提到了制衡作为防止总统滥权的结构性保障。这个关键词体现了美国政府设计中的基本原则,也是视频讨论中评估总统行为合法性的一个重要视角。

💡3-day blinds

3-day blinds是一家提供定制窗帘和窗饰的公司,视频中提到了该公司的广告。虽然这与视频的主要法律讨论主题不直接相关,但它是视频中提到的一个商业元素,显示了媒体内容与商业广告的结合。

Highlights

特朗普的律师向美国最高法院提出,即使特朗普偷取核秘密并出售,发动政变,接受外国官员贿赂,或命令军队暗杀政治对手,他也应该享有绝对总统豁免权。

这些论点是由前总统、共和党领袖在最高法院提出的,被描述为一种令人震惊的行为。

特朗普在下级法院败诉后,向华盛顿特区的联邦法院和DC巡回上诉法院提起上诉,最终上诉至最高法院。

在口头辩论中,大法官Sotomayor询问特朗普的律师,是否认为创建欺诈性选举人名单可以构成官方行为,从而享有豁免权。

特朗普的律师辩称,根据历史先例,总统在某些情况下可能享有豁免权,即使他们知道选举人名单是虚假的。

大法官Kagan询问,如果总统下令军队发动政变,这是否为官方行为,是否可以享有豁免。

特朗普的律师John Sour回应称,这可能取决于具体情况,如果是官方行为,总统需要先被弹劾和定罪。

大法官Kagan进一步探询,如果总统出售核秘密给外国对手,是否享有豁免权。

律师回应称,如果出售核秘密被视为官方行为,总统可能需要先经过弹劾和定罪程序。

当被问及总统使用军队暗杀政治对手是否允许时,律师表示这将取决于假设情况,但这种行为可能构成官方行为。

大法官Jackson质疑,如果世界上最有权势的人可以逍遥法外,这是否与美国的建国原则相悖。

Jackson强调,如果官方行为获得绝对豁免,我们就不需要区分私人行为和公共行为。

她提出,为什么总统在执行官方行为时不需要遵守法律,而其他人即使担任重要职位也必须这样做。

律师辩称,总统确实有责任遵守法律,但补救措施是弹劾和定罪,而不是个人易受伤害。

Jackson担忧,如果没有刑事起诉的威胁,总统可能会无所顾忌地犯罪。

律师提到历史上的先例和结构性保障措施,如弹劾和国会监督,作为防止总统滥权的保障。

讨论最后归结为一个核心问题:我们是一个法治国家,没有人可以凌驾于法律之上。

Transcripts

00:00

Donald Trump's lawyers argued to the

00:02

United States Supreme Court earlier in

00:04

the day that Donald Trump could steal

00:07

nuclear secrets and sell them that

00:09

Donald Trump could launch a coup against

00:12

the United States that Donald Trump

00:14

could accept bribes from foreign

00:17

officials and that Donald Trump could

00:19

order the military to assassinate his

00:22

political Rivals Donald Trump's lawyers

00:25

were making that argument in the United

00:27

States Supreme Court folks I never

00:30

thought as someone living in the United

00:32

States of America that it would get to

00:34

this the very fact that those arguments

00:37

are being made before the United States

00:40

Supreme Court by a former president by

00:44

the Republican leader this is a travesty

00:48

and don't take my word for it let me

00:50

show you the key moments during the oral

00:53

argument I'm only going to break it down

00:55

so you can just see the key moments from

00:56

this oral argument where Donald Trump

00:59

was arguing for

01:00

absolute presidential immunity for his

01:02

conduct and trying to overthrow the

01:04

results of the 2020 election after

01:07

losing in the lower courts Trump lost in

01:10

December before a federal court in

01:12

Washington DC Trump appealed it to the

01:15

next level Court which is the DC Circuit

01:17

Court of Appeals a 30 decision against

01:21

Donald Trump including from a

01:23

conservative judge ruling against Donald

01:25

Trump trump then appealed that to the

01:27

United States Supreme Court here during

01:30

the oral arguments Justice Soto mayor

01:33

asked Donald Trump's lawyer is it

01:36

plausible to you that creating a

01:39

fraudulent electoral slate would

01:43

constitute an official act that you

01:44

could have immunity for play the clip

01:47

apply it to the allegations here what is

01:50

plausible about the

01:52

president assisting in

01:55

creating a uh a fraudulent slate of

02:00

electoral candidates assuming you accept

02:03

the facts of the complaint on their

02:05

face um is that plausible that that

02:09

would be within his right to do

02:12

absolutely RoR we have the historical

02:14

President we site in the lower courts of

02:15

President Grant sending federal troops

02:17

to Louisiana and Mississippi in 1876 to

02:20

make sure that the Republican electors

02:22

got certified in those two cases which

02:23

deliver the election to Ruther for be

02:25

Hayes the notion that it's completely

02:27

implausible I just can't be supported in

02:30

the face of this indictment or even

02:31

knowing that the Slate is fake knowing

02:34

that the Slate is fake that they weren't

02:37

actually elected that they weren't

02:40

certified by the state he knows all

02:42

those things the indictment itself

02:44

alleges I dispute that characterization

02:46

the the indictment fixes the word label

02:49

to the so-called fraudulent lectures it

02:52

fixes the word fraudulent but that's a

02:53

complete mischaracterization on the face

02:55

of the indictment it appears that there

02:56

was no deceit about who had emerged from

02:58

the relevant State Convention iions and

03:00

this was being done as an alternative

03:02

basis but I want next up Justice Kagan

03:05

asks Donald Trump's lawyer John sour

03:08

what about if a president orders the

03:11

military to Stage a coup is that an

03:14

official act for which a president

03:16

should receive immunity play the clip

03:18

How about if a president um orders the

03:21

military to Stage a

03:25

coup I think that as the Chief Justice

03:28

pointed out earlier where there is whole

03:30

series of you know sort

03:32

of guidelines against that so to speak

03:34

like the UCMJ prohibits the military

03:37

from following a plainly unlawful act if

03:39

one adopted Justice alito's test that

03:41

would fall outside now if one adopts for

03:44

example the Fitzgerald test that we

03:45

advance that might well be an official

03:46

act and he would have to be as I'll say

03:48

in response to all these kinds of

03:50

hypotheticals uh has to be impeached and

03:52

convicted before he can be criminally

03:53

prosecuted but I emphasize to the court

03:55

well he's gone let's say this president

03:58

who ordered the military to jaku he's no

04:01

longer president he wasn't impeached he

04:03

couldn't be impeached um but but he

04:06

ordered the military to stage jaku and

04:08

you're saying that's an official act uh

04:10

I think it would depend on IM I think it

04:12

would depend on the circumstances

04:14

whether it was an official act if it

04:16

were an official act again he would have

04:17

to be imp what does that mean depend on

04:19

the circumstances he was the president

04:21

he um uh is the Commander in Chief um he

04:25

talks to his generals all the time and

04:28

he told the generals I don't feel like

04:29

leaving office I want to Stage a coup is

04:32

is is that immune if if it's an official

04:34

act there needs to be impeachment and

04:36

conviction beforehand because the

04:38

framers viewed the RI that that kind of

04:41

it's an official Act is it an official

04:42

act if it's an official act it's Impe is

04:45

it an official act on on the way you

04:46

described that hypothetical it could

04:49

well be I I just don't know you'd have

04:50

to again it's a fact specific context

04:52

specific determination that answer

04:54

sounds to me as though it's like yeah

04:56

under my test it's an official act but

04:58

that sure sounds bad doesn't it well it

05:00

certainly sounds very bad and that's why

05:02

the framers have and that's why the

05:03

framers have a whole series of

05:05

structural checks that have successfully

05:07

for the last 234 years prevented that

05:11

very kind of extreme hypothetical and

05:13

next up Justice Kagan says well what if

05:16

a president sells nuclear secrets you're

05:19

Donald Trump's lawyer do you believe

05:21

that selling nuclear secrets to a

05:24

foreign adversary do you get immunity

05:26

for that is that the position that

05:28

Donald Trump is taking right now before

05:30

the United States Supreme Court play the

05:32

clip uh if a president sells nuclear

05:35

secrets to a foreign adversary is that

05:38

immune that sounds like similar to the

05:41

bribery example likely not immune now if

05:43

it's structured as an official act he

05:44

would have to be impeached and convicted

05:46

first before what does that mean if it's

05:48

structured as an official act well I

05:50

don't know in the hypothetical whether

05:51

or not that would be an official act you

05:52

probably have to have more details to

05:54

apply the Blazing game uh analysis or

05:57

even the Fitzgerald analysis that we've

05:59

been talking talking about what about if

06:01

a president decides to use the military

06:05

to assassinate political Rivals are you

06:08

saying that that is allowed are you

06:11

saying that President should get

06:12

absolute presidential immunity for that

06:15

is that Donald Trump's argument is that

06:17

what you are asking us to uh hold today

06:20

as the United States Supreme Court play

06:22

the clip can be alleged but it has to be

06:26

proven mum in say is a concept

06:30

um viewed as appropriate in law that

06:33

there's some things that are so

06:34

fundamentally evil that they have to be

06:37

protected

06:39

against now I

06:42

think and and your uh answer uh below

06:47

I'm going to give you a chance to say if

06:49

you stay by it if the president

06:53

decides that his

06:55

rival is a corrupt person

07:00

and he orders the military or orders

07:03

someone to assassinate him is that

07:06

within His official acts that for which

07:08

he can get immunity it would depend on

07:11

the hypothetical but we can see that

07:12

could well be an official act it could

07:14

and why because he's doing it for

07:16

personal reasons he's not doing it at

07:21

like President Obama is alleged to have

07:23

done it to protect the country from a

07:26

terrorist he's doing it for personal

07:28

gain and isn't that the nature of the

07:31

allegations here that he's not doing

07:34

them doing these acts in

07:37

furtherance of an

07:40

official responsibility he's doing it

07:43

for personal gain I I agree with that

07:45

characterization of the indictment and

07:47

that confirms immunity because the

07:49

characterization is that there's a

07:50

series of official acts that were done

07:52

for an on immunity says even if you did

07:56

it for personal gain we won't hold you

08:01

responsible what do you how could that

08:04

be that's an extremely strong Doctrine

08:07

in this Court's case law in cases like

08:09

Fitzgerald well we go back to Justice

08:11

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10:15

Justice Jackson I think really lays it

10:18

out here and says if the most powerful

10:21

person in the world can get away with

10:24

anything isn't that the most

10:27

anti-American concept like wasn't our

10:30

entire country founded on a

10:33

rejection of that principle watch This

10:37

brilliant uh argument by Justice katangi

10:41

Brown Jackson here play this clip okay

10:44

thank you justice Jackson so I think I

10:47

Now understand better your position um

10:51

in in your discussions with Justice

10:53

Kavanaugh became clear that you are

10:55

saying that for the private acts of a

10:58

president there's no immunity

10:59

but for the official acts the president

11:01

there is immunity is that your position

11:04

I agree with that all right um so one

11:08

thing that occurs to me is that this

11:10

sort of difficult line drawing problem

11:12

that we're having with all of these

11:13

hypotheticals is this a private act or a

11:16

Public Act um is being necessitated by

11:20

that assumption because of course if

11:23

official acts didn't get absolute

11:25

immunity then it wouldn't matter we

11:27

wouldn't have to identify which are

11:29

private and which are public correct

11:31

that in fact is the approach of the DC

11:33

circuit there's no determination that

11:34

needs to be but I'm just I'm just making

11:36

so to the extent we're worried about

11:38

like how do we figure out whether it's

11:39

private or public we have to we have to

11:41

understand that we're only doing that

11:43

because of an underlying assumption that

11:46

the public acts get immunity so let me

11:48

explore that assumption um why is it as

11:52

a matter of theory and I'm hoping you

11:54

can sort of Zoom way out here that the

11:57

president um would not be required to

12:00

follow the law when he is performing his

12:03

official acts everyone else everyone

12:06

else there are lots of folks who have

12:08

very uh high-powered jobs who make a lot

12:11

of consequential decisions and they do

12:13

so against the backdrop of potential

12:17

criminal prosecution if they should uh

12:19

break the law in that um capacity and we

12:24

understand and we know as a matter of

12:25

fact that the president of the United

12:27

States has the best loyal in the world

12:30

when he's making a decision he can

12:33

consult with pretty much anybody as to

12:36

whether or not this thing is criminal or

12:38

not so why would we have a situation in

12:42

which we would say that the President

12:44

should be making official acts without

12:46

any uh responsibility for following the

12:49

law I respectfully disagree with that

12:51

characterization the president

12:52

absolutely does have responsibility he

12:55

absolutely is required to follow the law

12:57

in all of his official Acts but the

12:59

remedy for that is the question could he

13:02

be subject to personal vulnerability

13:04

sent to prison for making a bad decision

13:06

after he leaves office but but other

13:07

people who have consequential jobs and

13:10

who are required to follow the law make

13:13

those determinations against the

13:16

backdrop of that same kind of risk so

13:18

what is it about the president um I mean

13:21

I've heard you say it's because the

13:23

president has to be able to act boldly

13:25

do you know make kind of consequential

13:29

decisions I mean sure but again there

13:32

are lots of people who have to make life

13:33

and death kinds of decisions and yet

13:35

they still have to follow the law and if

13:38

they don't they could be sent to prison

13:40

etc etc so I say two things in response

13:43

to that both from Fitzgerald that's the

13:44

very uh uh sort of inference or

13:46

reasoning that this court rejected in

13:48

Fitzgerald no but let me just Fitzgerald

13:50

was a civil situation in which the

13:52

president actually was in a different

13:54

position than other people because of

13:57

the nature of his job the high profile

13:59

nature and the fact that he touches so

14:01

many different things when you're

14:03

talking about private civil liability

14:05

you know anybody on the street can sue

14:07

him we could see that the president was

14:09

sort of different than the ordinary

14:11

person when you say should he be immune

14:13

from civil liability from anybody who

14:15

wants to sue him but when we're talking

14:17

about criminal liability I don't

14:19

understand how the president stands in

14:21

any different position with respect to

14:23

the need to follow the law as he is

14:26

doing his job than anyone else he he is

14:28

required to follow the law and what not

14:31

if there's no criminal prose if there's

14:32

no threat of criminal prosecution what

14:34

prevents the president from just doing

14:36

whatever he wants all the structural

14:37

checks that are identified in Fitzgerald

14:39

and a whole series of this Court's cases

14:41

that go back to Martin against mot for

14:42

example impeachment oversight by

14:44

Congress uh public oversight there's a

14:47

long series of them Fitzgerald directly

14:48

addresses this in the Civil context and

14:51

we think that langage naturally PS I'm

14:53

not sure that's that that that's much of

14:54

a back stop and what I'm I guess more

14:57

worried about you seem to be worried

14:59

worried about the president being

15:00

chilled I think that we would have a

15:02

really significant opposite problem if

15:05

the president wasn't chilled if someone

15:07

with those kinds of powers the most

15:10

powerful person in the world with the

15:13

greatest amount of authority um could go

15:16

into office knowing that there would be

15:18

no potential penalty for committing

15:22

crimes I'm trying to understand what the

15:24

disincentive is from turning the Oval

15:27

Office into um you know the the the the

15:30

seat of criminal activity in this

15:32

country uh I don't think there's any

15:34

allegation of that in this case and what

15:36

George Washington said is what Benjamin

15:38

Franklin said is we view the prosecution

15:40

of a chief executive as something that

15:41

everybody cried out against as

15:42

unconstitutional and what George

15:44

Washington said is we're worried about

15:46

factional Strife which will no I'm Al

15:49

let me let me let me put this worry on

15:51

the table if the potential for criminal

15:53

liability is taken off the table

15:55

wouldn't there be a significant risk

15:57

that future presidents would be

15:59

emboldened to commit crimes with abandon

16:03

while they're in office it's right now

16:05

the fact that we're having this debate

16:08

because olc has said that presidents

16:10

might be prosecuted um presidents from

16:13

the beginning of time have understood

16:15

that that's a possibility that might be

16:17

what has kept this office from turning

16:19

into the kind of uh crime Center that

16:22

I'm envisioning but once we say no

16:25

criminal liability Mr President you can

16:27

do whatever you want

16:29

I'm worried that we would have a worse

16:32

problem than the problem of the

16:33

president feeling constrained to follow

16:35

the law while he's in office yeah I

16:37

respect and folks that gets to the heart

16:39

of the matter for me you know we can

16:42

talk about complex legal doctrines and

16:46

you could watch Donald Trump's lawyer

16:48

trying to you know make comments about

16:51

well there are structural safeguards in

16:53

place it's just a bunch of word salad

16:56

are we a nation of law

16:59

are we a country of Law and Order are we

17:03

a country where no one is above the law

17:08

how was our country founded this is

17:11

simple stuff I like how Donald Trump

17:14

laer goes well there was a conversation

17:16

where Benjamin Franklin one said this

17:19

there was a another conversation where

17:22

Benjamin Franklin was speaking to this

17:25

person and are you aware that uh in page

17:28

20 two of George Washington's diary that

17:32

George Washington had mentioned

17:35

look basic history the United States of

17:39

America was founded on the concept of We

17:43

the People not the king we were founded

17:47

on the rejection of absolute immunity

17:51

it's very simple a rejection of the

17:56

arbitrary and Limitless power of of

17:59

Kings that's what our country was

18:01

founded on and that's why our country

18:05

had been a beacon for the rest of the

18:09

world Donald Trump has spent his life

18:12

breaking things Donald Trump has spent

18:15

his life destroying things and his final

18:18

Act is to destroy our constitution to

18:22

destroy the presidency to destroy Common

18:25

Sense the case is now with the United

18:28

States Supreme Court will'll see what

18:30

they do but I hope showing you what

18:33

Donald Trump's lawyer said just you

18:36

hearing it on your own crystallized for

18:39

you at the very least what's at stake

18:43

I'm Ben melis from the midest touch

18:45

Network hit subscribe let's get to 3

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