In a recent Fox News interview, Donald Trump appeared to mix up President Joe Biden with ex-President Barack Obama, possibly repeating a past mistake.
A Repeated Confusion?
Speaking to host Sean Hannity on Thursday night, Mr. Trump stated, “If the president of the United States, and I’m not talking about myself, I’m talking about any president, has to have immunity because if you take immunity away from the president, so important, you will have you have a president that’s not going to be able to do anything.”
Missile Strike Remarks
“Because when he leaves office, the opposing party, president, if it’s the opposing party, will indict the president for doing something that should have been good, like Obama dropped missiles, and they ended up hitting a kindergarten or school or the apartment house, a lot of people were killed,” the former president added.
Biden or Obama?
Discussing a past incident, Donald Trump suggested, “Well, if that’s the case, he’s going to end up being indicted when he leaves office. He meant well, the missile went in the wrong direction and other things,” apparently mistaking Barack Obama for the current president, despite Obama having left the White House as Trump took office.
Trump’s Mental State Questioned
‘Morning Joe’ host Joe Scarborough, a former Florida Republican Representative (1995-2001), commented on MSNBC, “Donald Trump is not well, we know this.” He further remarked, “He really does think that Barack Obama is still president of the United States,”
Challenging Trump’s Immunity Stance
Jonah Goldberg of The Dispatch raised a thought-provoking question in his recent article, as noted by Mr. Scarborough. He wrote, “Just curious: What is the ‘serious’ Trumper explanation for why Biden can’t order Seal Team Six to take out Trump right now, given that Trump says even presidential acts that ‘cross the line’ must be immune from criminal prosecution?”
Mr. Scarborough described Trump’s stance on immunity as “pure, sheer authoritarianism and tyranny.”
The Immunity Debate Continues
This month, Trump was at the US Court of Appeals in Washington, DC, where his lawyers argued for his immunity in the election interference case. The judges, including Michelle Childs, Karen LeCraft Henderson, and Florence Pan, questioned his lawyer about this claim, with Sauer citing past presidents like George W. Bush and Barack Obama to support his argument.
Bush and Obama Cited
In the court, Mr. Sauer, Trump’s lawyer, referenced historical precedents to bolster his argument. He pointed out that George W. Bush wasn’t charged with obstruction of justice despite controversies surrounding the Iraq war and raised the question of whether Barack Obama should face charges for civilian casualties in drone strikes.
Clinton’s Pardon
Sauer also mentioned that Bill Clinton faced no legal consequences after pardoning Marc Rich, whose ex-wife had financially contributed to the Clintons.
Focus on Impeachment
The Trump team’s defense seemed to rely heavily on the impeachment clause, with Sauer emphasizing that Trump could only be prosecuted if impeached and convicted by Congress – a fate he avoided twice with the support of Senate Republicans.
Questions on Trump’s Immunity
Judge Pan pressed John Sauer for a clear answer on whether a Senate conviction is necessary for prosecuting Trump, but Sauer hesitated to respond definitively. The judges raised hypotheticals like a president committing serious crimes – would they be immune from prosecution?
Absolute Immunity?
Pan highlighted that immunity isn’t absolute, as Sauer admitted prosecution is possible after a congressional conviction. Sauer argued that criminal prosecution could undermine a presidency and claimed, without evidence, that Biden was targeting Trump politically.
Fears of Prosecution
“If a president has to look over his shoulder every time he has to make a controversial decision, worrying about ‘this could send me to jail when my opponent comes into office’ – that damages the presidency, Sauer added.
The ‘Most Dangerous’ Interview
Commenting on Trump’s recent Fox News interview, Mr. Scarborough called it Trump’s ‘most dangerous’ and ‘detached’ moment, noting his confusion and bizarre statements about Obama and World War II.
“He’s really losing it,” he argued.
Trump Refutes Confusion Claims
Trump previously rebutted claims of confusion on Truth Social, stating his Obama-Biden mix-up is sarcastic. He also criticized Ron DeSantis and Democrats for suggesting he’s cognitively impaired and accusing both Obama and Biden of ‘destroying’ the country.
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