The thread where we meet to discuss the unfolding Trump administration catastrophe, but end up discussing adoptions from Russia

[illegitimateMortificadospawn]

If we can get our hands free to type from the constant facepalming, we should be able to post on this topic.

Continuation of the previous thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/2968382-The-one-where-Trump-just-cant-stop-being-Trump

I think there are areas that the Constitution is silent on, Lweji. That's one of them.

I bet they never thought a President would think of pardoning himself.

It's like those warnings you see in packaging:

Do not try to insert this glass bottle up your arse

or

Stick the pizza in the oven for 10 min. Remove carefully, because it will be hot.

Washington, Sept. 8--President Ford granted former President Richard M. Nixon an unconditional pardon today for all Federal crimes that he "committed or may have committed or taken part in" while in office, an act Mr. Ford said was intended to spare Mr. Nixon and the nation further punishment in the Watergate scandals.

Mr. Nixon, in San Clemente, Calif., accepted the pardon, which exempts him from indictment and trial for, among other things, his role in the cover-up of the Watergate burglary. He issued a statement saying that he could now see he was "wrong in not acting more decisively and more forthrightly in dealing with Watergate."

www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0908.html

Can the President pardon himself? It's an issue that may need SCOTUS.

www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/05/24/could-trump-issue-himself-a-pardon/?utm_term=.a8db7ed7779c

My question is whether pardons relate to acts committed only in the President's term of office (per Nixon) or can they apply to past events? Can Trump pardon himself and his family for federal crimes committed before he became president? It seems perverse but....

I read this is why the NYS actions taken by AG Schneiderman are so important. These are state crimes and therefore out of the jurisdiction of the President.

What a lot we have learned in the past year...

If the president can pardon himself and his family of any crime it effectively puts him above the law. A ruler who is above the law is well on the way to being a tyrant, he just stops having fair elections and he can do what he wants. If this is allowed it takes the Trump presidency to a whole new level of unaccountability.

A ruler who is above the law is well on the way to being a tyrant, he just stops having fair elections and he can do what he wants. If this is allowed it takes the Trump presidency to a whole new level of unaccountability.

I'm afraid the US is well on a road to this.

That's what SCOTUS would have to consider.

But bear in mind the Presidential pardons relate only to Federal crimes - not crimes at State level.

that

Exactly, cozie and that may be why they were keen to see Kennedy retire this summer.

The State crimes distinction is why AG Schneiderman is so important. Earlier in the year, Twitter was celebrating the fact that the investigation was dual pronged - FBI and State. This is why.

Ms Maddow on (broadly) the topic.

Amusing diversion, now trending again: www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-40655323

In May 2016 the Twitter account @DanHannanMEP posted: "15 miles up and down over Hampshire's sloping fields, pausing for a pie @ vinehannington. God, I love England in May."
Alongside the words were an image of what was supposedly the Hampshire countryside. There was one problem: The photo he shared was taken in Glamorgan, Wales in 1998 by photographer John Ball.

Because why tell the truth, when you could tell an utterly pointless lie? Affinity with the orange one is strong with Ukippers...

What particularly concerns me is that many people may not actually realise that they're spouting untruths, though. To them, truth is what they think.

Ford pardoned Nixon. Nixon refused to pardon any of the Watergate conspirators as he said it "wouldn't be ethical" of him to do so. What he should have said is "it will make me look guilty myself", which was his real motivation.

If this all goes down Watergate-ish, I think the same thing will happen. Pence will pardon Trump for 'any and all crimes he may or may not have committed' whilst the 'little people' involved doing the real dirty work will be hung from the yardarms.

Someone asked earlier if a President can pardon someone for crimes committed before they were in office. Yes. It's very common that just before a president leaves office they issue pardons for people sitting in jail that the president feels are being unjustly punished or they feel were wrongly convicted. Whether or not a president would issue a 'blanket pardon' for crimes someone is suspected of, but not convicted of, is another thing. They probably could, but (other than Scrotus) probably wouldn't.

Evan Rosenfeld‏Verified account @Evan_Rosenfeld 1m1 minute ago
BREAKING: Sean Spicer Resigns as White House Press Secretary nyti.ms/2tn82GN via @GlennThrush

PLEASE let him talk and spill the beans now.....

Angry Spice has finally gone?! Well he hung in a lot longer than we expected him to!

Does this mean Scaramucci will get a baptism by fire? This may get interesting.

Just came on here to say Spicer had resigned. Gosh, turns out he has red lines after all. Who would have thought it.

Caroline O.‏ @RVAwonk 48s48 seconds ago
Sean Spicer left the WH on less-than amicable terms; said he vehemently disagrees w/Anthony Scaramucci's appointment
www.nytimes.com/2017/07/21/us/politics/sean-spicer-resigns-as-white-house-press-secretary.html?smid=tw-share … pic.twitter.com/p8SbSmMg1h

It appears Scaramucci was his "red line."

Gosh.

Well that's interesting.

Aw, poor Spicey. He didn't even get to meet the Pope. sad.

So, what's the word on Scaramucci? Can he do the fandango?

I might have mentioned quite a few threads back that I felt sorry for Spicey. Prior to this job he apparently had a really good reputation in Washington as being a good bloke.

I can't wait for his account. If he starts writing now it could be on the shelves by October for the Christmas rush

I hope that is the first question he is asked at his press briefing.