
President Donald Trump speaks to the press outside the Oval Office of the White House on June 1, 2018 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images)
'Very, Very Disturbing': Trump Asserts 'Absolute Right' to Pardon Himself
"You don't need to be a lawyer to understand why courts would never uphold a president's power to commit crimes and then pardon himself for them."
Echoing the tyrannical claim of his lawyer Rudy Giuliani in a Twitter outburst on Monday, President Donald Trump asserted that he has the "absolute right" to pardon himself--a statement legal experts said is both factually inaccurate and dangerous.
Responding to the president's tweet, former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti wrote, "You don't need to be a lawyer to understand why courts would never uphold a president's power to commit crimes and then pardon himself for them."
Other legal experts and commentators similarly disputed Trump's claim that he has a right to pardon himself--while also noting the "very, very disturbing" implications of the president's assertion.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Echoing the tyrannical claim of his lawyer Rudy Giuliani in a Twitter outburst on Monday, President Donald Trump asserted that he has the "absolute right" to pardon himself--a statement legal experts said is both factually inaccurate and dangerous.
Responding to the president's tweet, former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti wrote, "You don't need to be a lawyer to understand why courts would never uphold a president's power to commit crimes and then pardon himself for them."
Other legal experts and commentators similarly disputed Trump's claim that he has a right to pardon himself--while also noting the "very, very disturbing" implications of the president's assertion.
Echoing the tyrannical claim of his lawyer Rudy Giuliani in a Twitter outburst on Monday, President Donald Trump asserted that he has the "absolute right" to pardon himself--a statement legal experts said is both factually inaccurate and dangerous.
Responding to the president's tweet, former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti wrote, "You don't need to be a lawyer to understand why courts would never uphold a president's power to commit crimes and then pardon himself for them."
Other legal experts and commentators similarly disputed Trump's claim that he has a right to pardon himself--while also noting the "very, very disturbing" implications of the president's assertion.

