Virus power-grab? Trump admin seeks ‘sweeping’ powers to detain without trial during pandemic

Attorney General Bill Barr has asked Congress for new sweeping emergency powers, that include holding people “indefinitely without trial” during times of emergencies, according Politico. Former Federal Prosecutor Maya Wiley joins Ari Melber, and argues while “courts are legitimately struggling” with how to “not spread this virus by going through regular court business,” Barr’s ask went “far and beyond any powers that made sense” to balance “public safety and the rights of our people.”
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Virus power-grab? Trump admin seeks 'sweeping' powers to detain without trial during pandemic | MSNBC

75 comments

    1. @ed perkins instead of speaking in hillbilly riddles maybe you can enlighten us what all the tanks and armored Humvees are for

    2. @ed perkins this is where you tell us Q and the president are going to save us from the reptilians and reveal the world is flat?

    1. Look to history of Italy. How did the Nazi arranged the rule in that country. The dictator – screw representatives of people – replace with representatives of large business. And what do you already have in the US? Politicians in pockets of the lobbyist for the rich and corporations – nearly impossible to pass emergency help for regular people during a darn pandemic. US has a huge problem.

    2. You people are insane and you think we are like Hitler and his supporters. We are nothing like them and if Trump were like Hitler we would not blindly follow him. How crazy are you people.

  1. “Reichstagsbrandverordnung” otherwise known as the Reichstag Fire Decree (Germany, 1933). The decree nullified many of the key civil liberties of German citizens (in much the same way these “emergency powers” will nullify many of the key liberties of U.S. citizens). With the Nazi party occupying the majority of powerful positions within the German government, the decree was used as the legal basis for the summary arrest and imprisonment of anyone considered to be opponents of the Nazi party, and to suppress publications not considered “friendly” to the Nazi cause (Trump is already attempting something similar with the removal of advertisements which he feels misrepresent his response {or lack thereof} to the covid 19 pandemic). The decree is considered by historians as one of the key steps in the establishment of a one-party Nazi state in Germany.
    Will these “emergency powers” requested by the Trump administration lead to a similar outcome? Will Trump loyalists and Republicans afraid of losing power/popularity utilize the vulnerability of the nation in order to enact a subtle coup of the United States government? Only time will tell…

    This would make an outstanding alt-history television programme…too bad this is the dismal reality we exist within.

    1. Once these powers are given, they won’t be revoked. History tells us that. There is still a, so called, ‘national emergency’ at your southern border. That is where they will start and then they will come for Americans. Don’t think the, Republican packed, courts will help you.

    2. Yup. History – it’s important. I really hope you guys can make it to the election and I really hope the Dems don’t put Biden up against this guy. Bernie is their only hope. However, even that depends on actually have elections in November. That is no longera sure thing.

    3. you are seeing with 20/40 vision my friend… a very disturbing underlying ebb and flow of corruption masked with Christianity… and you have the recipe for a ‘White Christian Evangelical Nationaliionism’ take over of America where you lose your rights of free worship… as you’ll be forced to worship the ‘White’ Christian ‘God’… abide by Christian laws, biblical laws, and canonic laws… your entire world is about to end if one more cycle of Trumpian is allowed to remain… because he’s just the frontman… the stooge… rile up the masses while they go unseen creating havoc and mayhem of your free America… are you ready to fight?… vote 2020 and get the g0p out of American politics completely… religion has no place in politics…

    4. That’s all already occurred for the most part under the USAPATRIOT Act. Especially Section 215. It was more like the German Enabling Act? Remember, on top of that, Obama already set a precedent for the “extraordinary rendition” of US citizens. Plus, the two states of emergency after 9/11 were never rescinded. The US has technically been under de facto COG (Continuity of Government) since then. If you’ve studied Iran-Contra you’ll know what that is. You can verify all this with author and journalist David Talbot, as well as Professor and author Peter Dale Scott.

    1. If you rebuild while gerrymandering still exists you’ll make the GOP the new single party quite like Germany after Hitler got in. I got to say though your general idea is the best I’ve heard.

    2. Not a great idea actually because most are people like park rangers and coast guard who are just doing their job dutifly, we just need to vote in responsible house, Senate, and Presidential incumbents.

    1. The first thing he will do with that kind of power is locking up both Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders to make his dream of a Russia like authoritarian America come true…

    2. @Darth Archer Um, this will be 1950s Russia and he will be Stalin. Thanks Limbaugh, Hannity et al, you’ve destroyed 250 years of Constitutional government.

    3. Remember this is how bill barr brought down General Noriega of Panama when he was with the George HW Bush administration.
      This means during this pandemic those arrested for ANYTHING CAN BE HELD INDEFINITELY WITHOUT WARRANTS OR TRIALS THINK ABOUT THIS.do your history homework on how Barr came up with this and why to use it now while you’re not paying attention.

    1. Samuel Thompson ya If it was up to democrats we would all die . I mean you all walking around licking toilets and all the food at Walmart.

    2. You idiots wanted Trump to do something. So…congratufuckinglations.

      All I heard from people was: “I wish Trump would do more. He’s literally not doing anything.”

      Still think Trump should keep doing things?

    3. CatPower we need is democrats to move out of the country. Like they said they would. Democrats have done nothing for Americans. Thanks for nothing. Worthless weak hypocrites racist. Leave we dint need ya . 🖕🖕

  2. Trump purposely failed to respond appropriately to covid threat so he could claim emergency fourth Reich control.

  3. Trepublicans have been waiting for some kind of emergency to overthrow our democracy.
    Coup d’etat in plan sight.

    1. @Tony Bell – Err, I don’t think you understand what the term ‘projection’ means.
      Unless you really do think that Greg M has been waiting for an emergency to overthrow democracy ? I don’t really know who he is, so I suppose it’s possible, but I’m going with that being wildly unlikely.

    2. @english steve he does, but I think you missed his reference to the miserably conducted impeachment. The Democrats tried to bring President Trump up on ambiguous charges with no evidence.

    3. @shkspr78 s – All the evidence in the world would not have made a difference because Republicans refused to hear it and had made up their minds already. That however has nothing to do with my comment which was simply a humorous aside, nothing more.

    1. @Debra Johnson Left doesn’t stomp on the Constitution on a regular basis. That’s your kind who wants a police state with the Patriot Act. Civil Forfeiture. Eminent Domain. Exigent Circumstance. But your kind calls it being tough on crime while the liberals call it violation of civil rights.

      Right wing nuts like you love to stomp on civil rights every chance you get, torture prisoners and suspects, lock them up for being the wrong place at the wrong time and wrong race. Gee, who came up with the Miranda Rights? Liberals!

      Your kind only loves 1A and 2A and you could care less about the others. You want your freedom of religion to espouse hate. And then use 2A to threaten to murder cops, politicians and liberals who support gun control measures while hiding behind the flag. Patriotism is a virtue of the vicious.

    2. @Debra Johnson So YOU saw Obama abusing power of the WH. But Trump doesn’t. Wow.

      Trump whine and cry that Obama took too many vacations and ringing up the bills. Hmm. Trump is playing golf while there’s a pandemic outbreak going on and thousand dying by the day. Yup he really cares about America. Hahahahaha. Trump’s vacation bill is almost of that of Obama in 8 years. There goes your hypocrisy shining bright like a mag light.

    3. @De St It should. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. All Trump did was strengthen WH executive power for the next guy, and I can’t wait.

    4. @Leo Peridot and if “the next guy” is him? As far as 2024 goes… A true liberal would not want more executive power.

    1. Yeah I agree with you I’m with you this is what they’re really trying to do that’s why I did not trying to do nothing about it

    1. That’s exactly what that is good buddy.You know what’s going on.Now let’s figure out some names to toss around.Get back with me on some of these people that fit this catagory cause I believe your on to something.

  4. That fact that this administrations DOJ is using this pandemic as a way to seek detaining individuals indefinitely is beyond revealing.

    1. Think, the Mueller Report is in the hands of a judge now,UNREDACTED if some how it doesn’t get to the public before NOVEMBER what does that tell you

  5. This is exactly what dictators do , anybody thats votes for this and agrees with him needs to be dragged out of office immediately
    This is not about any pandemic this is about going after political liabilities loose ends in the Trump administration leakers mainly
    This bill gives them the right to bury you in silence you until the coast is clear
    Oh if it does pass though will somebody please arrest this orange turd

    1. Ya it kind of sounds like what Mueller did to anyone who had anything to do with Trump. Pretty horrible isn’t it? Rosenstein pretty much gave Mueller and Weissmann free reign. People put in solidary confinement, swat teams at 4:00 am. Tit for tat.

    1. @Robert Taylor
      Fingers crossed but I don’t think Biden is going to cut it against Trump and even if he does, he takes too much money from the haves 🙁

    2. @Greg Kelly he is not giving solid hope is he, his projection of strength is not convincing me.

    3. Why can’t we have the champion we need, I have the feeling my vote will be stolen again, good thing I am a survivor, some are not.

  6. This isn’t helping hospitals, it’s not helps the people that have been diagnosed with the virus. The justice system has nothing to do with fighting this virus. It’s against our constitution and freedom to a trial to be heard.

    1. Mr. Midnight Trump signed a National emergency act to let FEMA run the shop FEMA has more then Trump even tho Trump sold us out we are living for today cause tomm may not come

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