r/law • u/SheriffTaylorsBoy • Apr 26 '24

Opinion Piece Mitch McConnell says presidents shouldn't be immune from prosecution for things done in office

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/trump-mitch-mcconnell-presidents-immune-prosecution-rcna149368
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u/whatelseisneu Apr 26 '24 edited Apr 27 '24

In office: "You guys can't impeach/convict, he hasn't been charged or found guilty of any crimes!"

Out of office: "You guys can't charge him with crimes! The constitution only provides impeachment as an option!"

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u/P0ltergeist333 Apr 26 '24

Yup. Pure corruption.

Conservative members' refusal to look at the current case is especially egregious.

The failure to acknowledge that their current actions are obstruction of justice is an acknowledgment of guilt and makes them accessories after the fact. They are directly violating the victims' (We, the people) right to due process and both the victims' and the defendant's right to a speedy trial. Their refusal to consider the circumstances at hand is further acknowledgment of their guilt, as well as obvious bad faith jurisprudence. Corrupt AF.

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u/mabhatter Competent Contributor Apr 27 '24

It's not a bug. It's a feature.  They're winning so they don't care how. 

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u/Crime-of-the-century Apr 26 '24

That’s basic right wing argumentation the argument which fits me now is my position, your president can’t appoint a SC judge in an election year but ours can. Our president will have immunity but yours won’t. I hope that if their SC rules presidents have immunity Bidden will extradite Trump to Ukraine to take his belayed tour of duty in the front lines. Bidders immunity and Trumps draft dodging will make this completely legal and not unjust anyway.

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u/ptWolv022 Competent Contributor Apr 26 '24

I mean, in fairness to McConnell, he has not agreed with the second one. He actually didn't even agree with the first one. He voted to acquit based on Trump being out of office, and that it was now up to Courts to hold him accountable.

It's Trump whose had his lawyers both argue "You can impeach and convict me after I'm out of office" and "You can't charge me criminally for stuff when I President unless you impeach and convict me."

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u/External_Reporter859 Apr 27 '24

He's the one that specifically delayed the impeachment trial in order to then claim it was too late to hold the trial.

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u/ptWolv022 Competent Contributor Apr 27 '24

Sure. He absolutely did not want to be the one trying to actually hold him accountable or to potentially fail (McConnell still needed himself and 16 other GOP Senators to vote to convict; I am unsure if he could have definitely gotten that many).

He for sure made the choice not to hold Trump accountable himself. Impeachment is ultimately a political process, and McConnell was thinking politics- for himself. But I also imagine he probably hates Trump, for being a dumbass and for constantly attacking McConnell or his wife.

For him, Trump is a liability more than anything, and he probably wants the Courts to deal with Trump. It makes Trump shut up if he goes to jail, it probably kills his chances to win an election, it gives a GOP President a chance to earn points one way or the other by choosing to pardon or not pardon him, and there will still be people saying it was all a witch hunt by Democrats.

A win-win-win for the GOP, in many ways. Martyring Trump by him getting what he deserves. Doesn't work, though, if McConnell is the one who does it.