Monica Lewinsky penned on op-ed Monday calling for a series of constitutional amendments, including age limits for elected officials and a ban on presidential self-pardons. In a piece in Vanity Fai…
Turns out most of the US government relied on norms, traditions, and basic human decency, but very little of it was actually codified into law. Which in this day and age is like having no rules at all since no one has any shame anymore
Which is the problem she’s trying to address. It’s become very obvious that precedent is no longer good enough when you have unethical, immoral, shady people in charge.
The rules around pardons are incredibly vague. Presidents have typically treated them vary seriously and used them sparingly. Then Trump saw it as an opportunity to make some cash and do favors for his cronies who committed crimes to help him.
The legal consensus is that they can’t, but it’s never been tested --nor did anyone ever seriously conceive of it as a possibility-- so it’s theoretically possible as a matter of law.
You’re kidding right? Pardons in themselves are crazy, but didn’t know presidents can pardon themselves?
Turns out most of the US government relied on norms, traditions, and basic human decency, but very little of it was actually codified into law. Which in this day and age is like having no rules at all since no one has any shame anymore
Thank God for Trump, unironically. Stress-testing helps highlight problems.
Just like when the Weimar Republic was stress tested.
We seem to be reacting similarly too. As if nothing is happening.
Except that nobody is actually stopping tiny hands the wanna be Hitler.
Weve never had to worry about it before, there’s no precedent
Which is the problem she’s trying to address. It’s become very obvious that precedent is no longer good enough when you have unethical, immoral, shady people in charge.
This is going to be the subtitle for whoever writes the book about Trump in a few years.
The rules around pardons are incredibly vague. Presidents have typically treated them vary seriously and used them sparingly. Then Trump saw it as an opportunity to make some cash and do favors for his cronies who committed crimes to help him.
The legal consensus is that they can’t, but it’s never been tested --nor did anyone ever seriously conceive of it as a possibility-- so it’s theoretically possible as a matter of law.
Only works on Federal crimes the state and local ones that he committed will still stick. So that Georgia election will not be going away
That’s not really been tested.
You seriously haven’t heard any discussion about a president potentially pardoning himself? Where have you been the last 6 years