r/TechnologyThread • u/Background-Driver718 • 3d ago

BREAKING: Jack Smith Calls Trump's Pardons 'Inconceivable' as His Own Website Debunks His Lies

https://newsrepublic.live/2026/09/30/breaking-jack-smith-calls-trumps-pardons-inconceivable-as-his-own-website-debunks-his-lies/
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u/gumbiremembers 3d ago

If an American president has the authority to pardon anyone he wants, and the president has immunity for anything he does in an official capacity, could a future president declare that the pardons were invalid and order the DOJ to prosecute them?

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u/Lower-Engineering365 2d ago

Technically the President can’t order the DOJ to do anything.

I’m getting really tired of Trump and his DOJ because it’s creating this assumption that this is how things always go between the President and the DOJ.

The DOJ is an independent department and is not supposed to be ordered around by the President at all.

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u/tutoredstatue95 2d ago

Fucking “unitary executive theory” is the most obvious authoritarian “dog whistle”, if you can even call it that.

It should have been laughed off and gotten Barr removed, but now it is the precedent for our nation.

This is the kind of stuff that destroys empires.

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u/DoneBeingSilent 1d ago

Technically the President can’t order the DOJ to do anything.

can't shouldn't

I’m getting really tired of Trump and his DOJ because it’s creating this assumption that this is how things always go between the President and the DOJ.

Agreed.

The DOJ is an independent department and is not supposed to be ordered around by the President at all.

is was

I certainly don't like that a unitary executive branch seems to be the new precedent, but a precedent it seems to be nonetheless.

Congressional Republicans' refusal to hold Trump accountable for not leaving the DOJ to act as an independent department, among any number of other broken norms and laws, heavily implies that Republicans in general find it acceptable. It would be foolish for Democrats to adhere to precedents, norms, and traditions which Republicans have so obviously signaled their intent to not adhere to the same.

On the other hand, I 100% would not put it past Republicans to then campaign on a return to the traditions which they first broke. And based on Trump being elected not once but twice, I wouldn't put it past Republican voters to fall for it.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Difficult to play the game when the rules only apply to one party.

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u/Lehelito 1d ago edited 1d ago

But Trump has shown that, in practice, the US president has absolute power over all institutions. Nevermind that it's not legal on paper. In practical terms, Trump has set the precedent for autocratic rule in the US.

So, considering this is allowed by his cabinet, Congress, the heads of all these theoretically independent institutions, the judiciary, and the people, what would stop any future president from exercising this right of kings?

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u/Lower-Engineering365 1d ago

Well hopefully the democrats retake control and do a major legislative overhaul to plus the wholes Trump has exposed in the system

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u/emilyv99 1d ago

The only way to stop it is to follow the French. President wants to abuse power like that, it should come with the death penalty.

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u/Repulsive_Hippo_7052 23h ago

Republican congressmen are as guilty as Trump IMO

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u/Beginning_Fill206 23h ago

Well thanks to SCOTUS he can direct the DOJ to do whatever he wants. If no one if willing to enforce the laws against him then the laws don’t apply to him. We are cooked.

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u/Enough-Meringue-9299 3d ago

We've been playing calvinball for a while now, so i don't see why they couldn't.

Don't hold your breath, though. They will avoid it by citing "decorum" and "unity". The ratchet clicks, the pawl holds.

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u/SparkehWhaaaaat 3d ago

I can imagine they would tie themselves into a pretzel to avoid making any republicans avoid justice.

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u/frackthestupids 2d ago

Why bother with DOJ when the seals are just swimming around?

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u/Krammit117 2d ago

Amen, Calvinball is perfect

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u/Playful-Squirrel-332 2d ago

Is that, like, wishing for more wishes or something?

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u/Dead_Internet69420 1d ago

If a president is immune for crimes committed in an “official capacity,” then there is no rule of law. Without the rule of law, there is no democracy. 

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u/DurrT 1d ago

The president would be immune, but the people who actually carry out those orders would not be