Summary

Special counsel Jack Smith dropped 44 federal charges against Donald Trump, citing DOJ policy that sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted.

The charges, including election interference and classified documents retention, could be refiled after Trump’s presidency.

Critics, including Rep. Dan Goldman and former Capitol officer Aquilino Gonell, decried the move as a miscarriage of justice, asserting it places Trump above the law.

Trump and allies celebrated the decision as a victory, with Vice President-elect JD Vance vowing to prevent similar prosecutions.

Democrats fear Trump will seek political retaliation, deepening national divisions.

      • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod@lemmy.world
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        22 hours ago

        And I’m not sure which would be worse. Vance might be a bit more moderate on some things but his competence and ability to work with others makes him more dangerous on those.

        • EldritchFeminity@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          21 hours ago

          I’ve been debating this with myself, and my conclusion is that Trump might be worse because Vance is at least a politician. He has some knowledge and “respect” (maybe) for the trappings of the office, whereas Trump gives no shits for rules or regulations and is all too happy to trample on every right and freedom we have.

          But who knows, I could go both ways on which would be worse.

          • Krauerking
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            7 hours ago

            Vance is a smarmy piece of shit who will do anything for power and will bend over backwards for his owners who picked him to be vice president to make sure they had control when Trump dies.

            Vance is absolutely much more the issue cause he won’t have enough charisma and self aggrandizing to stand up for his own ideas like Trump does that slows his party down and occasionally creates tension. He will just “yes and” whatever is needed to be done.

            • EldritchFeminity@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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              4 hours ago

              Vance is a smarmy piece of shit who will do anything for power

              You just described the entire Republican party.

              But more to the point, the other side of the coin is that either Trump’s views align with those of his owners, or he’s just as easily manipulated, and either way, he believes himself to be a dictator and acts accordingly. He has no morals and no qualms about breaking the law. He says that people who disagree with him politically should be locked up and talks about how he needs generals like Hitler had. He has been putting people loyal to him in positions of power since day one of his first term. What infighting he has created in the Republican party may slow him down, but it might create more collateral along the way from his cronyism and disregard for rules of politics. At least Vance wouldn’t be ignoring the FBI vetting his appointments and talking about replacing the heads of the FBI with people more loyal to him.

              Both are bad for the country, I just don’t know if I can say one would be worse than the other. Vance is the corrupt official while Trump is the Florida man riding the high of who only knows what squared up to fight 5 cops who will probably win the fight.

    • morgan423@lemmy.world
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      23 hours ago

      Nothing for the Federal stuff, I guess.

      He can’t pardon the state felony convictions he has, though. That’s the case that worries me in this regard.

      • Nougat@fedia.io
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        22 hours ago

        Oh yes you can.

        Ford’s pardon of Nixon states:

        Now, Therefore, I, Gerald R. Ford, President of the United States, pursuant to the pardon power conferred upon me by Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, have granted and by these presents do grant a full, free, and absolute pardon unto Richard Nixon for all offenses against the United States which he, Richard Nixon, has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 20, 1969 through August 9, 1974.

        Whether or not any crimes were charged is irrelevant. Whether or not any charges were made and then dropped is irrelevant. “All offenses.”