Democratic Senator Brian Schatz issued a stark warning, asserting a potential threat to the core of American democracy as Donald Trump’s legal team contends that presidential immunity might extend to political assassinations, as reported by Newsweek on Friday, January 12, 2024.
In a court case in Washington, D.C., Trump’s attorney, D. John Sauer, made the controversial claim, triggering a strong reaction from Senator Schatz.
Schatz, addressing the Senate floor, emphasized, “In the authoritarian future he’s clamoring for, he gets to do anything he wants, wielding unparalleled power in the presidency and zero repercussions. That’s not a president; that’s a dictator.”
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Expressing concern over the potential erosion of equal justice under the law, Schatz highlighted a perceived double standard where different rules apply to Trump compared to everyone else.
In an interview with MSNBC’s Chris Hayes, Senator Schatz delved deeper into his concerns, distinguishing between Trump’s informal remarks and the official positions presented by his legal team in court.
“They are lawyering this up,” Schatz noted, expressing discomfort with the argument that Trump’s lawyers make, suggesting he could order the assassination of political rivals using SEAL Team Six, leaving it to the legislature to determine legality.
“It’s a new Rubicon we’ve passed, and the American public has to wake up to the fact that American democracy is at stake,” Schatz warned, acknowledging the weariness of following Trump’s actions but urging the public to recognize the gravity of the situation.
Meanwhile, Trump, facing indictment in four criminal cases, contends that charges related to actions taken during his presidency should be dismissed, citing presidential immunity.
This argument faced rejection in his federal election interference case by Judge Tanya Chutkan. However, an appeal brought the case to U.S. Circuit Judge Florence Pan, where the controversial claim emerged.
During the hearing, Judge Pan posed a crucial question to Sauer, Trump’s attorney, asking whether a president could “order SEAL Team Six to assassinate a political rival” and still be shielded by presidential immunity.
Sauer’s response added fuel to the fire: “He would have to be, and would speedily be, you know, impeached and convicted before the criminal prosecution.”
The attorney clarified that impeachment and conviction by Congress would override presidential immunity, allowing prosecution.
James Pearce, assistant to Special Counsel Jack Smith, expressed concern, calling this a potentially “extraordinarily frightening future.”
Sauer countered, stating, “That’s not a frightening future.”
