Trump’s Ugly New Rants About Jan. 6 Pardons Suddenly Seem More Ominous
Jul 1, 2024
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The podcast explores Trump's dangerous rhetoric on the January 6th rioters, his potential use of pardons, and the impact on legal proceedings. They discuss a Supreme Court ruling affecting cases against the attackers and concerns about Trump's threats to the rule of law. Additionally, the podcast delves into the MAGA movement's perception of citizenship and legitimacy, as well as parallels between the Mueller probe and the Capitol attack investigations.
34:09
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Quick takeaways
Trump's escalation in defending January 6th rioters raises concerns about potential pardons and undermining accountability.
Supreme Court ruling on obstruction statute may limit cases against Capitol attackers, but Trump's pardons could still pose a threat to rule of law.
Deep dives
Trump's Rhetoric on January 6th and Supreme Court Ruling
Trump continues to escalate his defense of January 6th rioters, calling for their release and hailing a Supreme Court ruling. However, legal expert Andrew Weissman clarifies that the ruling may not impact many prosecutions related to the Capitol attack. Despite Trump's claims, pardoning the rioters might not erase the event's significance.
The Supreme Court Ruling and Its Implications
The Supreme Court's ruling focused on the obstruction statute used to prosecute Capitol attackers. The statute addresses obstructing official proceedings, including evidence tampering. Weissman critiques the Court's narrow interpretation, indicating it may limit the statute's application to certain cases but not significantly impact overall prosecutions.
Trump's Narrative on Overturning Democracy and Pardoning Rioters
Trump's rhetoric on January 6th depicts rioters as victims and dismisses accountability for their actions. By framing the insurrectionists as wronged individuals, Trump hints at potential pardons and erasure of their criminality. Weissman and Sargent express concerns about Trump's disregard for accountability and the implications for the judicial system and democracy as a whole.
At last week’s debate, Donald Trump ranted that the January 6 defendants are “so innocent,” raging that President Biden is “destroying their lives.” Then at a rally, Trump called for their immediate release, while proclaiming victory over a big Supreme Court ruling that seemingly weakens the cases against the attackers. Former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann just co-authored a good new piece explaining that the ruling will only impact a small percentage of those cases. Still, if Trump wins, he’ll pardon untold numbers of those convicted. So we talked to Weissmann, who went deep on on that ruling and on why Trump’s pardon threats endanger the rule of law at its foundations. Listen to this episode here.