Democrats decry ‘sham for justice’ after prosecutors drop Trump charges
Democrats decry ‘sham for justice’ after prosecutors drop Trump charges
Congressman Dan Goldman says decision by Jack Smith ‘establishes that Donald Trump is above the law’
Summary
Special counsel Jack Smith dropped 44 federal charges against Donald Trump, citing DOJ policy that sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted.
The charges, including election interference and classified documents retention, could be refiled after Trump’s presidency.
Critics, including Rep. Dan Goldman and former Capitol officer Aquilino Gonell, decried the move as a miscarriage of justice, asserting it places Trump above the law.
Trump and allies celebrated the decision as a victory, with Vice President-elect JD Vance vowing to prevent similar prosecutions.
Democrats fear Trump will seek political retaliation, deepening national divisions.
The United States is a fucking joke. The nation supposedly founded on the rejection of a king believes that one person is literally not subject to US law. I could not have more contempt for, or feel more shame about being an unwilling participant in the unprincipled hypocrisy of this absolute shit hole of a country.
Fuck the oligarchs that run this place. Fuck the fascist Republican Party. Fuck the cowardly Democrats. And fuck the moronic, fear-riddled people.
That is the biggest and most obvious show of the corruption of the US American "justice" system. It was long known as the best "justice" money could buy, but this is open disregard of any legal principle.
Well it's still the best justice money can buy, just in a twisted, sinister kind of way and with a big emphasis on the money part
The average lifespan of an empire is 250 years.
The USA is 248 years old.
These facts are unrelated and I don't remember why I brought them up.
Strictly speaking, it makes sense that you don't ask the DOJ to prosecute their boss, considering if DOJ threw the case, he could not be prosecuted again later due to double jeopardy.
Instead, presidents are to be judged by Congress through impeachment, since Congress is supposed to be independent.
Does not really change anything since congress is too broken by partisan politics to do anything, but I just wanted to point out where the issue really is.
Here here. Fuck the entire broken system that keeps people so visibly and obviously above any semblance of justice.
If only we still had another month with a Dem president and his AG controlling the DOJ...
I mean a month is a short time, ideally we'd have had that the last four fucking years and had plenty of time to handle this.
Fairly certain and it appears obvious the DOJ believes the president is totally immune.
Part of the reason we are not members of the ICC.
Part of the reason Dick Cheney is not in The Hague right now.
Fairly certain United States has been a fascist country since at least 1790
Every single time someone tries to hold Trump accountable he claims it is a witch hunt.
Every single time the charges don’t stick because of intimidation or corrupt judges the public believes that it is a witch hunt just a little more and it is harder to get people to take it seriously.
This has happened so many times now that he has been able to win an election as a felon.
The DOJ knows that even if they successfully charge Trump now, his administration will get him out of it. Their only hope is to put it on pause and wait for an opportunity to actually hold him accountable. Because there is no way that can happen after he won an election.
I wouldn't go that far back, or say we've been a fascist country for that long.
I put a lot of blame on Dems closing ranks for Bill back in the 90s.
The root of the argument is semantic: The President has testified that he did not touch Lewinsky sexually. Lewinsky's testimony, and that of her friends and colleagues claim he did.
But the bottom line is whether this constitutes an impeachable offense. Again, Starr's report claims there is ample evidence of Clinton lying under oath, and concealing evidence of his relationship with Lewinsky to begin impeachment proceedings. Lawyers for Clinton declared today that the President's transgressions were "personal," but do not constitute an impeachable offense.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/did-clinton-lie-under-oath/
Like, people still act like trump has some mastermind legal strategy when he's just ripping off Bill by blurring the line between president and person.
At the end of the day for decades both parties have agreed that regardless of which one of them is in charge, no one gets any consequences from the others.
We can't count on those groups holding each other accountable. Voters need to hold at least one party to a higher standard, or literally no one is ever going to be held accountable.
If only the AG didn’t waste 3 years before filing charges.
How about 2.5 years in which everyone held off because they didn't want to step on the FBI's toes, and it turned out that they weren't doing anything?
This is just like Obama giving Bush and Cheney a pass for war crimes and starting a war based on complete lies.
You're talking about a criminal case, what does a month do for you? At every turn, Trump has consistently tried to delay the process. It has nothing to do with the DOJ or AG, they are working the system to intentionally delay everything until now. Why proceed either, he's going to be president in two months.
He's making a facetious point about the huge quantities of time Merrick Garland had to waste to create this outcome.
"they are working the system to intentionally delay everything until now."
If only every criminal defendant could afford to do the same...
--It would probably be a moot point because it would be legislated away as a legal strategy by the same officials that were previously dragging their feet for Trump.
The Russia/Republican propaganda has been too strong to make anything stick. If you try to arrest Trump while he has enough followers to win an election then you’ll get a mob like Jan 6th storming whatever prison he’s held in.
It’s not as simple as you’re trying to make it sound.
Sounds to me like a perfect recipe to round up and arrest a bunch of traitors to American principles. Was the thought trump would just shut up and quietly go away if we kept biding time or he lost another election. What, if anything, about trumps character would make anyone think that. 100% the government just dropped the ball on this. They won with trump in the opposition and wanted to time it well enough to win again and have him divide and weaken the republicans.
sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted.
The charges, including election interference
🤡
Election interference is legal if you do it so well you win.
This is honestly the biggest joke of them all.
Get ready for way, way more election interference.
In fairness, that's election interference over the last election. It just took a whole cycle to conclude that he definitely did do it. There's no way he did it this time though right? Right?
No one could possibly be that daring that they'd do it and win, lose, then do it again to win again?
Second time must have been legit.
If it prosper, none dare call it treason.
Wow I'm so shocked
Had 4 years to sort this and out the fucker in jail for treason and decided to dick around doing fuck all til a few months before the election.
Biden has the blood of 100,000 on his hands and the death of democracy in his lap. That's his legacy.
Once again, Biden sticking to "policies" and "traditions" that are not law and facilitating terrible outcomes for the USA
Personally, I think the administration dragged its heels because it was stupid enough to want to run against Trump again. After all, if they had the bogeyman incarnate to run against, they could move to the right and still be second worst. And second worst wins elections, right?
Democrats fear Trump will seek political retaliation, deepening national divisions.
No, it's not a fear. It's an acknowledgement of exactly what he has said he will do:
Trump has said repeatedly he will seek political retaliation, deepening national divisions.
This feels like a joke from Portal
"Test subjects fear I will kill them with turrets and fry whatever is left, even if it's still alive. Mostly because of my plans to kill them with turrets and fry whatever is left even if it's still alive." - GlaDOS probably
English person here: I didn't think he was classed as 'sitting' until he was officially voted in with the Electoral College and sworn in. Surely there's still time to prosecute.
You’re right that he’s not sitting yet, but wrong in that there’s not time to prosecute before he is sworn in. And anyway, he’d be the boss of the prosecutors against him so he can retaliate with no fear of consequence.
Thank you for clarifying
I told my wife 4 years ago when these charges came in "If this becomes more than a slap on the wrist I will be amazed", I am not amazed.
I’m actually kinda OK with this considering the circumstances.
With the republican’s capture of the presidency, congress, and the SCOTUS, there’s no way he’s going to suffer a day for his charges if the court pursued them.
The main problem was not sentencing him quickly when they had the chance. That’s the major fuckup.
Anyway, the dismissed charges are without prejudice. Which offers the opportunity (assuming trump survives his presidency, we don’t end up with a de facto republican dictatorship, etc) that he can be sentenced after his presidency.
But we all know how the courts love sentencing rich old white dudes.
I see it as a white flag. It's not gonna happen now, and it isn't going to happen later either. This battle they lost and that's that.
Democrats need to start worrying less about Trump the person and more about the potential ramifications we will face in the near and farther future. It seems Democrats have a 5 year plan and Republicans have a 50 year plan, that's why they keep gaining power and favor.
Went from oligarchy to patriarchal oligarchy reaaal quick there lmao
Everyone's going to shrug it off like they did in russia when putin was beginning to spread his roots. Then they'll cry 'it's not the people's fault, it's him!".
That was always the plan
The party of law and order...for everyone but themselves.
Democrats sat on their ass for 4 years and bailed Trump out.
Yup. Jack's hands were tied by SCOTUS.
It is good that he didn't dismiss the charges with prejudice tho 'cause that means they can be brought again.
Dropping them now actually prevents a Trump Admin appointee from getting them dismissed with prejudice. it sucks that trumps delay tactics let him run out the clock, and it's unclear of Garland was malicious or incompetent in how long he delayed appointing Smith. Hopefully we come out the other side.
This is what America voted for. Cthulu help us.
You know, for the first time in my life I understand the Cultists from Lovecraftian horror. If there was some ritual we could perform to awaken an Elder God to devour the planet, I would be about ready to join in.
Merrick Garland needs to be remembered by history as an all time coward. The way we use Machiavelli to label a traitor, we need to use Garland to denote the most limp, failed and feckless human being.
Here's everything you need, press this one button and the majority of the country will celebrate you perpetually and history will call you a hero... Doesn't lift a finger, throws up down the front of his shirt, falls asleep.
Fuck Merrick Garland, without qualification.
The blame is squarely at the feet of McConnell, Obama, Biden, Orrin Hatch, and finally Merrick Garland.
A timeline:
In 2010 Obama nominated Kagan to SCOTUS. A nomination criticized by Hatch as blatantly partisan. Hatch said that he had known Garland for years. He added that, if nominated, he would be a “consensus nominee” and that there was “no question” he would be confirmed.
Then in 2016 with the Scalia vacancy, McConnell made up the fictional "Biden rule" to refuse seating or even hearing a nominee. Hatch then claimed that this process could proceed if an uncontroversial nominee was proffered. He again mentioned Merrick Garland:
"The president told me several times he’s going to name a moderate [to fill the court vacancy], but I don’t believe him. [Obama] could easily name Merrick Garland, who is a fine man. He probably won’t do that because this appointment is about the election. So I’m pretty sure he’ll name someone the [liberal Democratic base] wants.”
Then of course, Obama caved to Hatch's public request further elevating Garland in the public eye and to the approval of centrists and liberals. McConnell still refused to acquiesce, and dragged it out into the next presidency.
Then with Trump's electoral win, and some backroom dealing to get Kennedy to retire, the federalist society and the heritage foundation got their 40+ year wish. A conservative court, despite the rules, the circumstances, the math being otherwise. And all with zero fight from the Obama Administration.
Fast forward to the Biden administration in 2021, FOREVER still entertaining the notions of bipartisanship. Even while the GOP will offer a handshake while donning a Freddy Kruegeresque sharpened gauntlet of knives.
So of COURSE Biden nominated Garland to AG in the foolish hope that Americans and the GOP would somehow view this move as apolitical, above the frey, etc.
Garland is a symptom just like Trump is a symptom. They both stem from the same problem. That problem being a new aristocracy, a political class that seeks to simply preserve their places in power, and completely purge the citizenry from the body politic. A new Jim Crow, but one of bureaucracy. One that exclusively values the opinions of the political class over the wishes of the people. Garland is the example of this system as is Obama/Biden and many others. Meanwhile men like McConnell will easily exploit this system, and men like Trump will gain power as a reaction TO this system.
Power has been removed from the people (what little we had) and now the GOP and the majority of the DNC seek to keep it that way as it keeps them in power.
If you think I'm wrong about the DNC, just look at their actions. They're floating Rahm Emanuel to head the DNC. They're already talking about a Harris/Buttigieg ticket in 2028 (because you know, fuck the voters, their primaries, their caucuses. Who needs a Democratic process?)
And it's not a nobody saying this. It's guys like David Axlerod saying it on the LibDem mouthpiece network MSNBC.
Here comes 4 years of dem finger wagging
And don't forget conservative finger wagging.
"I'm sure he learned his lesson."
No one has pretended that in years.
It seems counter intuitive, but you want as little of this of this floating around as possible while he's in office. Act like nothing's pending throughout his term, then reopen this the minute he's out.
We don't need him having more motives to try to dictatorially stay in power after his term, and stuff like clearly pending trials and sentencings hanging over him the moment he leaves the WH could give him that extra incentive.
then reopen this the minute he’s out.
I'll take shit that will never happen for $800, Alex.
Who is going to stop Trump from just pardoning himself?
Nothing for the Federal stuff, I guess.
He can't pardon the state felony convictions he has, though. That's the case that worries me in this regard.
This is how our nation falls. Not with a bang, but cowering and whimpering.
The charges, including election interference and classified documents retention, could be refiled after Trump’s presidency.
Yeah, like he's not going to view that as something hanging over his head the next four years...
More like fear of retribution from the orange felonious madman
"President Trump is still liable for everything he did while he was in office, as an ordinary citizen, unless the statute of limitations has run, still liable for everything he did while in office, didn’t get away with anything yet – yet.”
— Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), on February 13, 2021, arguing against the need to impeach Donald Trump.
See Americans, this is the type of shit you should invade gov buildings for, that type of shit is for when the institutions don't work, not for when they are doing their job
Breaking News: liberals once again forget which country they live in.
He's not sitting yet, you fucking bootlicker.
People don't understand that this was the most-damaging ting Smith could do. If he didn't drop the charges now they'd be dismissed entirely in January.
By dropping them without prejudice now, before trial begins and before the case can be reassigned by the Trump admin, the charges can be refiled in 2029.
Smith is keeping his eyes on the prize.
Cry more. Americans brought this on themselves. After everything we've gone through over the past decade with the orange, we elect him right back in the WH with eyes wide open. We deserve everything that's coming our way.
“The government you elect is the government you deserve.” - Thomas Jefferson
He's above law so the law is beneath him.
But nothing is beneath him so the law means nothing.
If only Americans would decry it.
There are a couple of troubled people that deserve a pardon and an apology. Maybe their boom sticks back too? They will definitely not do it again! They pinky promise!
The liberals keep fascism in their back pockets just in case.
Capitalism hasn't been able to offer what it promises and its only natural that the left or right would emerge the victors. Sadly with poor education in america and red scare, McCarthyism both still poisoning the well then only one realistic outcome is possible and your all living it. A trump victory.
If you want real change join a socialist / leftist org. Read socialist theory and teach others of the scientific approach to society and class differences.
When justice is not done, sometimes justice will be done.
you should have tried winning
They just needed to "find" more votes.