On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that American presidents have “absolute immunity” from prosecution for any “official acts” they take while in office. For President Joe Biden, this should be great news. Suddenly a host of previously unthinkable options have opened up to him: He could dispatch Seal Team 6 to Mar-A-Lago with orders to neutralize the “primary threat to freedom and democracy” in the United States. He could issue an edict that all digital or physical evidence of his debate performance last week be destroyed. Or he could just use this chilling partisan decision, the latest 6-3 ruling in a term that was characterized by a staggering number of them, as an opportunity to finally embrace the movement to reform the Supreme Court.

But Biden is not planning to do any of that. Shortly after the Supreme Court delivered its decision in Trump v. The United States, the Biden campaign held a press call with surrogates, including Harry Dunn, a Capitol police officer who was on duty the day Trump supporters stormed the building on Jan. 6; Reps. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) and Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas); and deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks.

Their message was simple: It’s terrifying to contemplate what Donald Trump might do with these powers if he’s reelected.

“We have to do everything in our power to stop him,” Fulks said.

Everything, that is, except take material action to rein in the increasingly lawless and openly right-wing Supreme Court.

  • BrianTheeBiscuiteer@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    Fox News has actually been selling the lie that this decision doesn’t change anything and impeachment will curtail any abuse of power. The frog will be slowly boiled to death at this rate. We can try to turn down the temperature or we can start pouring lava in the pot to make the frog go, “Oh, fuck that noise!”

    • JasonDJ
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      6 months ago

      Yes, because impeachment worked so well the last two times.

        • JasonDJ
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          6 months ago

          I’m not sure if you’re agreeing with me or not. I’m not even really sure what I’m agreeing with.

          I said that because the impeachments were fully along party lines. If a major party won’t hold its own members accountable, then the whole charade falls apart.

          That was the only option, and I’m sure Pelosi et al knew the outcome long before they started it, but it still had to be done. Unfortunately it was far, far too late.

          Edit oh I understand now. I totally misinterpreted what you were saying and I don’t know how. Yes. Well…I wouldn’t say fox just reporteds lies and propaganda. Their “news” is, however, is consistently incomplete and heavily opinionated.