this post was submitted on 25 Nov 2024
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Summary

Special counsel Jack Smith dropped 44 federal charges against Donald Trump, citing DOJ policy that sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted.

The charges, including election interference and classified documents retention, could be refiled after Trump’s presidency.

Critics, including Rep. Dan Goldman and former Capitol officer Aquilino Gonell, decried the move as a miscarriage of justice, asserting it places Trump above the law.

Trump and allies celebrated the decision as a victory, with Vice President-elect JD Vance vowing to prevent similar prosecutions.

Democrats fear Trump will seek political retaliation, deepening national divisions.

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[–] Draegur@lemm.ee 1 points 2 hours ago

He's above law so the law is beneath him.

But nothing is beneath him so the law means nothing.

[–] Snapz@lemmy.world 8 points 6 hours ago

Merrick Garland needs to be remembered by history as an all time coward. The way we use Machiavelli to label a traitor, we need to use Garland to denote the most limp, failed and feckless human being.

Here's everything you need, press this one button and the majority of the country will celebrate you perpetually and history will call you a hero... Doesn't lift a finger, throws up down the front of his shirt, falls asleep.

Fuck Merrick Garland, without qualification.

[–] Sam_Bass@lemmy.world 13 points 8 hours ago

More like fear of retribution from the orange felonious madman

[–] elrik@lemmy.world 55 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Democrats fear Trump will seek political retaliation, deepening national divisions.

No, it's not a fear. It's an acknowledgement of exactly what he has said he will do:

Trump has said repeatedly he will seek political retaliation, deepening national divisions.

[–] HawlSera@lemm.ee 15 points 9 hours ago

This feels like a joke from Portal

"Test subjects fear I will kill them with turrets and fry whatever is left, even if it's still alive. Mostly because of my plans to kill them with turrets and fry whatever is left even if it's still alive." - GlaDOS probably

[–] card797@champserver.net 20 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

This is what America voted for. Cthulu help us.

[–] CileTheSane@lemmy.ca 4 points 7 hours ago

You know, for the first time in my life I understand the Cultists from Lovecraftian horror. If there was some ritual we could perform to awaken an Elder God to devour the planet, I would be about ready to join in.

[–] Prandom_returns@lemm.ee 25 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago) (1 children)

Went from oligarchy to patriarchal oligarchy reaaal quick there lmao

Everyone's going to shrug it off like they did in russia when putin was beginning to spread his roots. Then they'll cry 'it's not the people's fault, it's him!".

[–] HawlSera@lemm.ee 2 points 9 hours ago

That was always the plan

[–] aarRJaay@lemm.ee 43 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

English person here: I didn't think he was classed as 'sitting' until he was officially voted in with the Electoral College and sworn in. Surely there's still time to prosecute.

[–] Dupree878@lemmy.world 29 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

You’re right that he’s not sitting yet, but wrong in that there’s not time to prosecute before he is sworn in. And anyway, he’d be the boss of the prosecutors against him so he can retaliate with no fear of consequence.

[–] aarRJaay@lemm.ee 8 points 15 hours ago

Thank you for clarifying

[–] xenomor@lemmy.world 170 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (4 children)

The United States is a fucking joke. The nation supposedly founded on the rejection of a king believes that one person is literally not subject to US law. I could not have more contempt for, or feel more shame about being an unwilling participant in the unprincipled hypocrisy of this absolute shit hole of a country.

Fuck the oligarchs that run this place. Fuck the fascist Republican Party. Fuck the cowardly Democrats. And fuck the moronic, fear-riddled people.

[–] CileTheSane@lemmy.ca 7 points 7 hours ago

The average lifespan of an empire is 250 years.

The USA is 248 years old.

These facts are unrelated and I don't remember why I brought them up.

[–] Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works 2 points 6 hours ago

Here here. Fuck the entire broken system that keeps people so visibly and obviously above any semblance of justice.

[–] DreamlandLividity@lemmy.world 15 points 15 hours ago

Strictly speaking, it makes sense that you don't ask the DOJ to prosecute their boss, considering if DOJ threw the case, he could not be prosecuted again later due to double jeopardy.

Instead, presidents are to be judged by Congress through impeachment, since Congress is supposed to be independent.

Does not really change anything since congress is too broken by partisan politics to do anything, but I just wanted to point out where the issue really is.

[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 27 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

That is the biggest and most obvious show of the corruption of the US American "justice" system. It was long known as the best "justice" money could buy, but this is open disregard of any legal principle.

[–] slampisko@lemmy.world 7 points 19 hours ago

Well it's still the best justice money can buy, just in a twisted, sinister kind of way and with a big emphasis on the money part

[–] Skullgrid@lemmy.world 158 points 1 day ago (2 children)

sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted.

The charges, including election interference

🤡

Election interference is legal if you do it so well you win.

[–] Manalith@midwest.social 1 points 2 hours ago

In fairness, that's election interference over the last election. It just took a whole cycle to conclude that he definitely did do it. There's no way he did it this time though right? Right?

[–] Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world 5 points 18 hours ago

If it prosper, none dare call it treason.

[–] LotrOrc@lemmy.world 101 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Wow I'm so shocked

Had 4 years to sort this and out the fucker in jail for treason and decided to dick around doing fuck all til a few months before the election.

Biden has the blood of 100,000 on his hands and the death of democracy in his lap. That's his legacy.

[–] Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world 12 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Personally, I think the administration dragged its heels because it was stupid enough to want to run against Trump again. After all, if they had the bogeyman incarnate to run against, they could move to the right and still be second worst. And second worst wins elections, right?

[–] Krauerking@lemy.lol 4 points 12 hours ago

Agreed. They still think being not trump is the easiest way to power since single identity politics is losing its charm.

Once again, Biden sticking to "policies" and "traditions" that are not law and facilitating terrible outcomes for the USA

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 176 points 1 day ago (17 children)

If only we still had another month with a Dem president and his AG controlling the DOJ...

I mean a month is a short time, ideally we'd have had that the last four fucking years and had plenty of time to handle this.

[–] Kalysta@lemm.ee 31 points 1 day ago

If only the AG didn’t waste 3 years before filing charges.

[–] DancingBear@midwest.social 99 points 1 day ago (13 children)

Fairly certain and it appears obvious the DOJ believes the president is totally immune.

Part of the reason we are not members of the ICC.

Part of the reason Dick Cheney is not in The Hague right now.

Fairly certain United States has been a fascist country since at least 1790

[–] UsernameHere@lemmy.world 50 points 1 day ago (4 children)

Every single time someone tries to hold Trump accountable he claims it is a witch hunt.

Every single time the charges don’t stick because of intimidation or corrupt judges the public believes that it is a witch hunt just a little more and it is harder to get people to take it seriously.

This has happened so many times now that he has been able to win an election as a felon.

The DOJ knows that even if they successfully charge Trump now, his administration will get him out of it. Their only hope is to put it on pause and wait for an opportunity to actually hold him accountable. Because there is no way that can happen after he won an election.

[–] UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml 19 points 23 hours ago

Because there is no way that can happen after he won an election.

"A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one."

  • Alexander Hamilton
[–] Skullgrid@lemmy.world 22 points 1 day ago

Their only hope is to put it on pause and wait for an opportunity to actually hold him accountable.

it's fucking over. he won the election, and he's going to fucking pardon himself, die, or both before anyone holds anyone accountable.

he's going to gut any functional part of the legal system and get no reprimand.

[–] eran_morad@lemmy.world 35 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

that fat fuck'll be long dead before any justice could ever be served. justice within the legal system, that is.

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How about 2.5 years in which everyone held off because they didn't want to step on the FBI's toes, and it turned out that they weren't doing anything?

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[–] Th3D3k0y@lemmy.world 31 points 23 hours ago

I told my wife 4 years ago when these charges came in "If this becomes more than a slap on the wrist I will be amazed", I am not amazed.

[–] blazera@lemmy.world 18 points 23 hours ago

Lot of good that decrying'll do now.

Democrats are done, elect a progressive party

[–] kn0wmad1c@programming.dev 24 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

The party of law and order...for everyone but themselves.

[–] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 28 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

I’m actually kinda OK with this considering the circumstances.

With the republican’s capture of the presidency, congress, and the SCOTUS, there’s no way he’s going to suffer a day for his charges if the court pursued them.

The main problem was not sentencing him quickly when they had the chance. That’s the major fuckup.

Anyway, the dismissed charges are without prejudice. Which offers the opportunity (assuming trump survives his presidency, we don’t end up with a de facto republican dictatorship, etc) that he can be sentenced after his presidency.

But we all know how the courts love sentencing rich old white dudes.

I see it as a white flag. It's not gonna happen now, and it isn't going to happen later either. This battle they lost and that's that.

Democrats need to start worrying less about Trump the person and more about the potential ramifications we will face in the near and farther future. It seems Democrats have a 5 year plan and Republicans have a 50 year plan, that's why they keep gaining power and favor.

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[–] Iheartcheese@lemmy.world 20 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Here comes 4 years of dem finger wagging

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