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.

  • DancingBear@midwest.social
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    45
    arrow-down
    4
    ·
    25 days ago

    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
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      16
      ·
      25 days ago

      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.

      • eran_morad@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        8
        ·
        edit-2
        25 days ago

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

    • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      arrow-down
      11
      ·
      25 days ago

      I wouldn’t go that far back, or say we’ve been a fascist country for that long.

      I put a lot of blame on Dems closing ranks for Bill back in the 90s.

      The root of the argument is semantic: The President has testified that he did not touch Lewinsky sexually. Lewinsky’s testimony, and that of her friends and colleagues claim he did.

      But the bottom line is whether this constitutes an impeachable offense. Again, Starr’s report claims there is ample evidence of Clinton lying under oath, and concealing evidence of his relationship with Lewinsky to begin impeachment proceedings. Lawyers for Clinton declared today that the President’s transgressions were “personal,” but do not constitute an impeachable offense.

      https://www.cbsnews.com/news/did-clinton-lie-under-oath/

      Like, people still act like trump has some mastermind legal strategy when he’s just ripping off Bill by blurring the line between president and person.

      At the end of the day for decades both parties have agreed that regardless of which one of them is in charge, no one gets any consequences from the others.

      We can’t count on those groups holding each other accountable. Voters need to hold at least one party to a higher standard, or literally no one is ever going to be held accountable.

        • njm1314@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          25 days ago

          Pretty sure y’all just lost the election spectacularly, so might as well hold me a party accountable now that the worst has already happened.

          • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            25 days ago

            They already think it’s cause they didn’t go far right enough. They’ve got their heads up their asses as always and won’t change as always.

            • Shardikprime@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              0
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              edit-2
              23 days ago

              Yeah right? Might as well use these next 4 years, organize and rally behind a real third party no? No?

              Oh y’all voting democrats again In 4 years? Blue no matter who?

              Yeah that’s what I thought

        • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          arrow-down
          3
          ·
          25 days ago

          For an honest attempt at it?

          No, it’ll never be a fair fight.

          But if we want a Dem primary in 2028, we need to keep demanding it, and we need to solidify around a candidate ASAP.

          Voters beat the party in 08, and they’ve had to walk back a lot of what Hillary changed in 2016 to prevent that.

          I still feel crazy that everyone ignored what happened to NH this “primary” but I don’t think we’re really at the point where Dems just appoint candidates without a primary.

          We just need a candidate that refuses to concede until more than a handful of chosen states vote.

            • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              1
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              25 days ago

              Certainly the game is rigged. Don’t let that stop you; if you don’t bet you can’t win.

              As true today as in 1987 when Heinlein wrote it