• OwlPaste@lemmy.world
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    6 days ago

    If he’s elected, he can pardon himself using trump’s changes can’t he? (Across the pond, so donno)

    • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
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      6 days ago

      Thanks to Trump, we now know that Luigi could be elected while imprisoned.

      He wouldn’t need Trump’s changes. A US president has unlimited power of pardon of federal (not state) charges, with the exceptions of impeachment related crime and self-pardons. The President can even pardon citizens before they’re charged with a crime, like Carter did for the Vietnam draft-dodgers.

      Trump’s immunity change by SCOTUS blurs the self-pardon line a bit by allowing POTUS to commit crimes without repercussion as long as they are “official acts,” whatever that means. That change is more forward-thinking, making it far easier for his team to plan his crimes.