Chuck Rosenberg joins Lawrence O’Donnell to discuss the legality of who Donald Trump could pardon in the final hours of his presidency, including whether he could pardon his own company which is under investigation and whether Trump would lose his Fifth Amendment rights if he pardoned himself. Aired on 01/19/2021.
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Drawing upon his experience as a former chief of staff on the Senate Finance Committee and as an Emmy-winning executive producer and writer of ""The West Wing,"" Lawrence O'Donnell examines the compelling and impactful political stories of the day. O'Donnell convenes diverse panels of guests, including a variety of politicians and cultural voices, to offer unique viewpoints and perspective. In his signature style, O'Donnell highlights the latest news developments and offers his take on the political stories driving the national conversation.
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Rpts: Trump Expected To Issue More Than 100 Pardons Before Leaving Office | The Last Word | MSNBC
The biggest loser traitor’s immunity expires Jan 20.
Can’t wait till NY, DC, Maryland lawsuits resume and pick up steam
@RD Oh I’m so sorry, I’ll retract everything I’ve said. WOW
@ChaosSynergy 😂
@The Meeting Guy You need to learn to speak English. Haven’t got a clue what you’re talking about.
@Ken Roberts you’ve successfully defined hypocrisy with yet another stupid statement
Trump supporters need to ‘STOP THE SQUEAL’.
t’rump hasn’t worked this hard since he told America to inject bleach! 😲😬😩💉💀
😅😂🤣
@druid139
Daily tanning fried his brain.
@rostam rostam I was laughing at the comment. I didn’t mean to offend anyone.
I should of been more specific. I apologize.
I agree with you completely! I laughed, because I couldn’t believe Trump said that! That look on that doctor’s face, when he said that.
A lot of people could of died, because of it. That’s really sad. I can’t even phantom, why people support and believe in what he says. 😡🤬😡😢
What you said, I agree. I also think he’s worse than a piece of crap. That’s putting it lightly. Again I apologize to you all.
Have a great day! 🙂 God Bless.
@Margie
God bless you.
Unfortunately there is no cure for stupidity.
Trump supporters prove that over and over.
@rostam rostam you got that right! I have family members and my daughter are Trump supporters. 🙄 I just shake my head.
My other daughter says, Mom you can’t fix stupid! 😂 It’s funny and sad at the same time.
@Margie
Your other daughter is very wise.
Why ask and answer these questions you all are just giving Trump idea’s
I’m sure Trump can privately call upon the advice of Alan Dershowitz for example, in how to test, delay and fight laws. The long-term value of electing a Grifter as President is learning about weaknesses in the legal system, which are up for exploitation. Over the next four years, limits need to be put in place, so as to stymy intelligent would-be Dictators.
Shhhh…..right?
@Lynda Sutherland I would appreciate your opinion on my playlist, thanks +1
He has read the book “My New Order” written by Adolf Hitler. I’m sure he is full of ideas.
@Lynda Sutherland kool
Trump: ” Ask not what you can do for your country, ask what you can do for me “
But is Biden & Co any different, that is the big question.
@Lorraine West but but what about Biden
@Lorraine West can’t be worse than trump
@Lorraine West I would appreciate your opinion on my playlist, thanks +1
Different or not … we’ll all will see in the next four years and kept this chat and bring it out after four years
They need to limit pardons to like 15 for the entire term.
better yet: actually impeach and convict and remove presidents who actively committing crimes throughout their presidency, preferably much earlier than the last year of the term.
@Scitoshi Nakayobro Wont happen, the entire US gov is corrupt. When will you 🐑 realize this? No US senator is for the people, only their own personal agenda.
@Symbolic Bass Ah no, no! Bernie Sanders is better than most of them.
No, they need to invalidate conflict of interest pardons. If presidents can pardon cronies working on their behalf there is no disincentive for criminally corrupt presidents to hide behind conspirators.
@Vivian Surname And that’s why Democrats have always made sure that Bernie doesn’t win
The swamp thing crawls out of his tromenduoss swamp and faces state level insecticide.
Dan i couldnt agreemore well said 👍👍👍👍👍👍
It will take years for the U.S to get rid of the ‘’Trump Stink’’.
@Pierre Mathieu 😂😂😂
Omg you should be a comedian!”
Unfortunately, his stink will be there forever
Still haven’t got rid of the Clinton Stink. Now it’s going to be replaced with the Biden Stink which smells like China and Russian Ukraine
Decades. Even if they kick out this new NSA clown there are plenty more embedded in our government, not mention hundreds of judges that will help perpetuate it.
It is actually costing tax payers almost $500k for them to do an intensive deep cleaning and disinfecting of the WH before Biden moves in , that’s why *’rump is leaving at 6am .
Isn’t accepting a pardon, even from yourself, a legal admission of guilt?
That is correct
Trump is selling pardons to raise funds to pay his debts and protecting him at the same time. Win Win situation.
@D G, he doesn’t have to his daddy will be the President of the United States tomorrow!
@D G …Go away! You Maggots don’t give up! So stupid!
@Jill E. this is what they said its Democracy which I looked more like Communist
Strange that he pardons so extremely few compared to prior presidents.
@christoffer pettersen pardons don’t need to be published until the individual is being charged then he can show it to get the protection. It’s selling like hot cakes to the end. Wake up and smell the coffee.
Why are pardons allowed to be given, when no laws, charges, or trial have taken place. There needs to be a major overhaul of the pardon system, if it allows preemptive crimes.
@John Barrientes
Very true but lf you’re offered a ‘get out of jail free’ card you’re going to take it, even though it’s not actually free but comes at a very high price.
Of course, Trump would be on this one trying to take advantage of our America again and again. Only a weasel like himself would dare do what he as done and is doing. He is so disrespectful of our country.
@John Barrientes No, being pardoned is not an admission of guilt. The truest use of a Presidential Pardon is to reverse an unjust conviction which would be useless if the person then had to admit they were guilty.
To the OP, a preemptive pardon is also a useful tool for honest Presidents. Imagine a situation where a person stole bread to feed his starving family. The President could pardon that person to save the courts time and cost for what is very obviously not a crime that should be prosecuted.
There are ways to remove or even reverse an individual President’s Pardon powers but it requires an act of congress.
The biggest problem with the Pardon powers of Presidents is that they have not been tested in courts. This means that the interpretation for what constitutes a legal, for lack of a better term, pardon is still undefined. This has allowed for the Pardon power to be abused, notably Nixon’s pardon, those involved in Iran-Contra scandal and Clinton’s brother.
In order to overhaul the Pardon powers, you need to amend the Constitution. It would be quicker and more prudent to first have the courts nail down what the Pardon powers currently are so a proper amendment can be drafted.
@Trevor Bowser Exactly, it needs to be overhauled to stop it from happening in the future. I hope there is a precedent set and kept this time round. Its meant to be fair justice for one and all.
@Carriemchardy Carrie I’m not sure we are on the same page here. ‘Overhauled’ and a ‘set precedent’ (not really how it works but I get your meaning) are different. One is changing it, the other is clarifying the current. My opinion is that before it is changed (constitutional amendment), we need to know what it is first (supreme court ruling). It is both easy and difficult to get the court to weigh in on this issue. It’s easy because it just needs someone to legally challenge pardons as they are issued, or even look at past pardons and challenge them. It is difficult because the court will be very hesitant to even look at the challenge and the supreme court can kinda ignore the challenge with minimal effort (long explanation for this so I suggest people look it up).
Also, the pardon powers of the President (called Executive Clemency I think) is actually designed to be outside the legal system. For example, imagine if a drug like marijuana became universally legal in America (like cigarettes or alcohol). Everyone who was convicted of possession could hypothetically ask to have their charges reviewed. This would clog the courts and cost a fortune. it would be quicker and more cost effective to issue pardons, especially if the reason for making the drug legal was a shift in legal understanding of said drug. This is a similar situation to the civil war pardons which were not directly about justice but a political tool to help heal the nation.
So, in the case of either a supreme court ruling or a constitutional amendment, it is a balancing act to limit the abuse of the pardon while still allowing it to be able to be used in unprecedented but important ways. It’s gonna take smarter people than me to figure out how to do that.
Until then, it would be up to congress to be vigilant. Sadly, I am not sure congress is up to the task, regardless of which party has the majority.
US really have a weirdo laws , and insist justice on other nations.
You are correct. Americans revere the Constitution but don’t talk about how it’s been subverted
by adding new sections that prevent legal authorities from pursuing what were original crimes.
The United States began as an act of treason as a colony of the British Empire, Americans wanting
to be their own country. The also have the only national anthem written about a battle of war.
Yep, really insane. How foolish we look and are, really under Republican rule.
Yes. The US has hypocrisy in vast reserves.
@birdlynn Much better than the fascist left.
Yeah and you have Sharia Laws , The most evil laws in the world.
He continues to prove he’s unworthy of so much power.
His rights to issue Pardons should have been removed when he got IMPEACHED a 2nd time!
He’s a CROOK!
@VisualAddict hahaha😂
@birdlynn impeachments are useless and a waste of taxpayer money basically
@Trifecta Impeachment guarantee’s that he has NO Political future!
NO Political updates!
NO Secret Service!
NO Pension!
NO free health care!
NO State funeral!
So I think the USA needs to impeach him!
@Buddha Cook he already was impeached and he remained president. Democrats are impeaching him for the sake of it.
@Trifecta did I not put my last comment in ENGLISH that u could understand ?!
2ND Impeachment
will stop him from
ANY POLITICAL FUTURE!
I’m an Aussie & even I’ve understand the given facts.
The media gives him so many ideas, now you can expect it will be 100 just for saying it.
Trumps about to go pardon the Trump Organization. He should not be able to pardon anybody or anything. He’s a conman. 😔
Don’t feel so bad! He needs money to cross litigate and the bank has stopped the cashflow! So the Trump Organisation will be dismantled to pay his money back to Duesche Bank. Then, he will be trying to blame Angela Merkel.
These pardons should be illegal, he is in a process of impeachment for God sake! How in the world?!! Reverse them immediately after he leave office.
And of course, the system of pardons has to be reformed, it can not go this way. A lot of things need to be reformed.
Was it a problem when Obama used this power nearly 2000 times
Astonished or brazen, Trump is selling his indulgences to pay off his debts?
It’s the closest he ever comes to being catholic.
I’D LIKE TO SUGGEST ‘PREMEDITATED PARDONS ‘ ARE ILLEGAL.
I’d like to suggest pardoning a criminal working for you should be as illegal as a self pardon.. which really ought to be illegal.
Pardons transcend legality. They are the evasion of the legal system, by their very nature. The fault is not that of the pardons being issued, it is the fault of having a pardon system at all. It crosses the Separation of Powers and should in equity, be removed from the statutes.
Trump:
“Hey… money needs to be made
Bankroll the Pardons
Need to survive
Need to feed my ego
Need to love the enemies of the state”
👍🏻😅🤣🤣🤣
Presidential Breaking News: trump: I am the only president in the World that can get away with all the crimes I did.