So the supreme court already ruled the president cannot be held accountable for anyone they kill.

The vice president becomes the president instantly if the president dies.

What is preventing any vice president from waiting until day 1 of their parties presidency, and then murdering the president? And then instantly pardoning themself?

  • orcrist@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    2 months ago

    That’s not what the Supreme Court said, though. Only official acts have absolute immunity. Murder is not usually an official act.

    And as always, if you’re talking about a coup d’etat, the question is if the military or spy agencies will kill you before, during, or after it. When the rule of law is out the window, you must expect physical violence.

      • mipadaitu@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        2 months ago

        it’s much harder to prove because the official acts part also includes all the evidence and testimony needed to prosecute.

        So if you can’t use evidence from official communication to prove that the treason happened. That makes the prosecution of presidents very difficult. It’s going to be extremely difficult for a prosecution to tell a coherent story to a jury without including any “official” acts as part of the crime.

    • JaggedRobotPubes@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      2 months ago

      An official act is defined as a purposefully undefinable and thus uncheckable label the temporarily-illegitimate supreme court can apply to any action without reason or precedent so that donald trump can do whatever he wants.