The Biden Presidency Thread

[El Guapo]

I expect we will soon hear the legal argument that if a president can issue a pardon, a president can also revoke a pardon.

That's ridiculous and uprrecedented, you say? Yep, I say. And so we will see ir.

Not sure Trump would want to make that argument, though. If Trump "revoked" Hunter's pardon and then his DOJ criminally charged him, obviously Hunter's lawyers would argue that he can't be charged because of the pardon, and that issue would wind up in court. In that case either Trump would lose the argument (and look bad), OR he would win, and he'd have to worry about some future president revoking his pardons. That would both weaken any self-pardon Trump ever issues, and give people that Trump might immunize via pardon some worry about committing crimes on his behalf.

[El Guapo]

One thing about Biden's pardons that bothers me is that he only seems to be taking steps to protect his family and a few others, and not doing much of anything to protect American democracy more broadly.

[Holman]

One thing about Biden's pardons that bothers me is that he only seems to be taking steps to protect his family and a few others, and not doing much of anything to protect American democracy more broadly.

Not trying to be snarky, but what could he do?

[Punisher]

Oh noes! Not a bad precedent.

Precedent is dead

Lol. Peoples' views of reality have a long way to go to catch up with current reality. It'll be unprecedented!

I reject your reality and substitute my own!

[LawBeefaroni]

I expect we will soon hear the legal argument that if a president can issue a pardon, a president can also revoke a pardon.

That's ridiculous and uprrecedented, you say? Yep, I say. And so we will see ir.

Not sure Trump would want to make that argument, though. If Trump "revoked" Hunter's pardon and then his DOJ criminally charged him, obviously Hunter's lawyers would argue that he can't be charged because of the pardon, and that issue would wind up in court. In that case either Trump would lose the argument (and look bad), OR he would win, and he'd have to worry about some future president revoking his pardons. That would both weaken any self-pardon Trump ever issues, and give people that Trump might immunize via pardon some worry about committing crimes on his behalf.

"some future president". You mean his heir?

Really, all it means is that the outgoing president just has to make sure his/her guy/gal gets the job next.

[waitingtoconnect]

Honestly, as much as I dislike Hunter (the guy's kind of a scumbag), I think Joe had no choice. Trump and his worshippers in Washington WILL go after anyone even remotely related to him as retaliation for actually trying to do something about Trump's numerous crimes.

It’s who he didn’t pardon that will get it. As Romney said, I have a big family, if they want to come after me there are lots of ways.

And there are always state crimes. They aren’t safe.

[El Guapo]

I expect we will soon hear the legal argument that if a president can issue a pardon, a president can also revoke a pardon.

That's ridiculous and uprrecedented, you say? Yep, I say. And so we will see ir.

Not sure Trump would want to make that argument, though. If Trump "revoked" Hunter's pardon and then his DOJ criminally charged him, obviously Hunter's lawyers would argue that he can't be charged because of the pardon, and that issue would wind up in court. In that case either Trump would lose the argument (and look bad), OR he would win, and he'd have to worry about some future president revoking his pardons. That would both weaken any self-pardon Trump ever issues, and give people that Trump might immunize via pardon some worry about committing crimes on his behalf.

"some future president". You mean his heir?

Really, all it means is that the outgoing president just has to make sure his/her guy/gal gets the job next.

I mean, he probably plans to stay or have his heir be the next president. But then, he probably planned to stay president in 2021 as well. He does have to do some contingency planning for things not going totally his way. So overall I can't see the risk / reward of trying this making any sense for him.

Of course, he's not always the most logical of persons, but that doesn't mean that his actions lack all logic.

[El Guapo]

One thing about Biden's pardons that bothers me is that he only seems to be taking steps to protect his family and a few others, and not doing much of anything to protect American democracy more broadly.

Not trying to be snarky, but what could he do?

I don't mean to second guess, but something more than nothing would be nice. This is also a frustration with Democratic leadership more generally. Pardons of totally innocent people out of fear of political persecution is at odds with the nicey-nice approach that they've taken more generally to the incoming Trump administration.

[Unagi]

Oh noes! Not a bad precedent.

Precedent is dead

Lol. Peoples' views of reality have a long way to go to catch up with current reality. It'll be unprecedented!

lol

just fyi, this came across as, oh, just a little insulting (not that you give a poop). I'm quite deep in reality.