Summary

The Trump Store released $50 “Trump 2028” hats Thursday, sparking backlash online as Trump has repeatedly hinted at running for a third term.

“I have had more people ask me to have a third term,” Trump said on March 31, claiming the 2020 election was “totally rigged.”

Steve Bannon said he’s exploring “five or six different alternatives” to enable a third run.

Critics on social media called it “insane” and a sign of “fascist” ambitions. Though barred by the 22nd Amendment, Trump could run again if it were overturned by Congress and the states. However, it would require a two-thirds vote of Congress and three-fourths vote of the states.

  • BlameTheAntifa@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Prison. Now. For him and all his corrupt, openly criminal Constitution-shredding cronies. We are far past the point of hand-waving over the open criminality and corruption. And in Trump’s case, legitimate Constitutionally-defined treason. Mass arrests and convictions of these criminals needs to happen now. Right now. Even if we the people need to take care of it ourselves. Nobody is coming to save us.

  • Kichae@lemmy.ca
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    2 months ago

    You have to soft launch your fascist dictatorship. People need time to accept the possibility.

    It took a lifetime to turn the Roman Republic into the Principate. You gotta ease into these things to keep peope from shanking you on the senate floor.

  • xenomor@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    If this joke of a nation had any merit at all, these coy suggestions would be disqualifying and his flabby, corrupt ass would be on the sidewalk or in jail tomorrow. Unfortunately, Americans are lazy, entitled, stupid, and collectively rich enough to pretend that there won’t be consequences to our shortsightedness.

    • Draces@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      The facts already disqualifying him is why he’s disqualified. Good to see Americans aren’t alone as the stupid ones

      • CileTheSane@lemmy.ca
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        2 months ago

        Americans don’t have a democratic process to do anything about it.

        Hmmm, what would other countries do if they didn’t have a democratic process to do anything about it? Maybe the French have some advice…

        • entwine413@lemm.ee
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          2 months ago

          I can’t tell for sure if this is a supporting comment, or if it’s sarcastically pointing out that Trump was elected.

          On the off chance that it is sarcasm, what I meant was that the people have no democratic process to remove elected officials from power.

          • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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            2 months ago

            I’m saying that if we had an actual democracy, 35% support from idiots doesn’t get you into office. It gets a little attention that fades and is almost forgotten a couple years later. You know, a sane world – in which we do not live.

  • rhabarba@feddit.org
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    2 months ago

    Critics on social media called it “insane” and a sign of “fascist” ambitions.

    I don’t believe that ‘being able to be elected by voters one more time’ is even close to being the same as a ‘fascist dictatorship’.

    • Lumidaub@feddit.org
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      2 months ago

      When Angie entered her 16th year of being German chancellor, USians yelled about dictatorship too. I had several discussions about how simply remaining in power for a long time does not mean one is a dictator, as long as free and equal elections happen. I may not have agreed with CDU voters (ever), I certainly have never voted for them, but tough.

      Circumstances in this case however do suggest that he’s trying to overthrow their entire system and this third term stuff is just an overt symptom of a disregard for their constitution.

      • turtl@lemm.ee
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        2 months ago

        what are you waffling about!? obviously not the same thing at all

        • Lumidaub@feddit.org
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          2 months ago

          What’s not the same thing? I didn’t say anything was the same thing as another thing?

    • Libra00@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Except it’s not being able to be elected, because he’s served two terms and that limitation isn’t just a law, it’s an amendment. I don’t care how much of congress they control, changing it will require a new amendment and that’s just exceedingly unlikely to happen, much less happen before the end of his current term. So if he can’t change the rules, attempting to stay in power anyway is absolutely fascist dictatorship material.

      • Ferrous@lemmy.ml
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        2 months ago

        The 22nd amendment does not prohibit Trump from serving a third term. It prohibits Trump from being elected a third time. Weak ass document.

          • Ferrous@lemmy.ml
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            2 months ago

            Biggest evidence of fascism I see is a constitution which explicitly enshrines the right to enslave people.

        • chiliedogg@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          Your phrasing could use some help, but you’re correct that there is a flaw in the text of the amendment and the Presidenial Succession rules that may allow for shenanigans.

          But the clear intent is to prevent 3rd terms, and any attempt to circumvent the amendment is definitely dictator shit.

          • Ferrous@lemmy.ml
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            2 months ago

            But the clear intent is to…

            And there’s the rub. You have an extremely weak and vague Constitution that everyone has so far just agreed to follow with a wink wink, nod nod. Once the first demagogue showed up, that shit went out the window.

        • ExtantHuman@lemm.ee
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          2 months ago

          No, it definitely does prevent him. You can do not serve UP TO half of someone else’s term BEFORE you serve your own two. It’s a total of 10 years, and you cannot be VP if you’re ineligible for President.

          • chiliedogg@lemmy.world
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            2 months ago

            Actually, they’re right. The 22nd amendment prevents someone from being elected into office after serving 2 terms or 2 terms and half of someone else’s.

            It’s technically silent on being elevated to the Presidency by other means than an election after serving 2 terms.

            The real crazy bit is that the Speaker of the House is 3rd in line, and technically doesn’t have to be a member of Congress. So ttechivally the GOP could name Trump Speaker and get rid of POTUS and Veep (through resignation or impeachment/conviction) and have Trump be President again.

          • Ferrous@lemmy.ml
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            2 months ago

            What are you talking about? The amendment makes no mention of VP or succession.

            No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of President more than once. But this Article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this Article was proposed by Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this Article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.

            This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of its submission to the States by the Congress.

            • ExtantHuman@lemm.ee
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              2 months ago

              The amendment doesn’t have to because VP already has the same requirements as president in the main body of the Constitution.

              Amendments are only the change being made, not reiterating what already existed. VP used to just be the second place in the presidential election.

              • Ferrous@lemmy.ml
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                2 months ago

                VP already has the same requirements as president in the main body of the Constitution.

                Show me how this keeps Trump from being allowed to succeed into POTUS. Yall are backpedalling because you’ve never actually read the Constitution.

                The 22nd amendment prohibits Trump from doing this

                No it doesn’t

                well sure, but the “main body” (the articles…) does

      • rhabarba@feddit.org
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        2 months ago

        Except it’s not being able to be elected, because he’s served two terms and that limitation isn’t just a law, it’s an amendment.

        Now how would it be “fascist” to alter the jurisdiction so a politician can be elected for one more term?

        • fishos@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          Simple. If done by a single person or small group that is not representative of the whole, it’s facism. If done with the blessing of the people, it’s not.

          If trump passed an amendment changing that, and did so by acquiring the proper amount of votes in all areas, that would be fine.

          If he does it by saying “I can because I say so”, that’s facism.

          I know you’re just being a troll or intentionally ignorant, but that’s the answer. You’re intentionally stripping ALL THE NUANCE out and trying to act naive.

          • rhabarba@feddit.org
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            2 months ago

            If trump passed an amendment changing that, and did so by acquiring the proper amount of votes in all areas, that would be fine.

            Thank you, that already explains some of this discussion to me.

            I know you’re just being a troll or intentionally ignorant

            This was uncalled for. Please do not do that.

            You’re intentionally stripping ALL THE NUANCE out and trying to act naive.

            Please do not assume my “intentions” here and misjudge me based on your assumptions. I have almost no clue of US politics (I’m German), and all I do is try to understand what’s the big deal here. I don’t think that’s a bad thing.

            • fishos@lemmy.world
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              2 months ago

              Then, with all due respect, stfu. If you don’t know American law, don’t be up there spouting your opinion of American law. You see me here spouting off uninformed about German law?

              You’re here saying it’s not facist to elect him a third time when it literally violates our constitution. Pick an insult and lob it at yourself - you’re not worth further time.

              • rhabarba@feddit.org
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                2 months ago

                Then, with all due respect, stfu.

                Sometimes it’s wiser to write less, you know?

                If you don’t know American law, don’t be up there spouting your opinion of American law.

                Curiousity is not an opinion. How can I get to know American law if questions about American law are answered with personal attacks?

                • fishos@lemmy.world
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                  2 months ago

                  I don’t believe that ‘being able to be elected by voters one more time’ is even close to being the same as a ‘fascist dictatorship’.

                  Where was the question? I only see misinformed assumptions and straight falsehoods.

                  I refer you to my original request about stfu-ing

          • iAmTheTot@sh.itjust.works
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            2 months ago

            To be fair, that just makes it authoritarian, not fascist. It’s all the other stuff he does combined with that which makes it fascist.

            • fishos@lemmy.world
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              2 months ago

              Fair point. I was focusing more on the “with or without the people’s blessing” aspect.

        • Libra00@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          And that’s also fascist. If we’re assembling a list of the fashy shit Trump has done one by one we might be here a while.

  • Charlxmagne@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Not saying I agree with the whole 2 terms 4 years each thing americans have let alone their political system in general, but who was actually surprised? That’s what fascists do, just take Mussolini.

  • troed@fedia.io
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    2 months ago

    This is an excellent opportunity for someone to start selling “Obama 2028” hats.

    • Boddhisatva@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Or Bill Clinton 2028 hats. They’re the same age, after all and the jokes write themselves.

      Bill Clinton - At least he was able to balance the budget.

      Bill Clinton - He’ll just fuck the interns instead of the rest of us.

      • Capt. Wolf@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Bill Clinton - Yeah, he probably diddled kids when he was hanging out with Epstein too, but at least he never got caught.

        Bill Clinton - Sure he conned people, but at least he was smart enough to have a fall guy.

        Bill Clinton - At least he’s not Hillary, but also you’ll still get Hillary…

      • Rookwood@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        2 months ago

        Bill Clinton sucks. His policies directly lead us to where we are today and what he did to Lewinsky was sexual harassment.

        I know you’re joking but I don’t find him to be very funny.

        • ElcidBarrett@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          Yeah, he really shit the bed when he repealed Glass-Steagall and opened the door for the corporatist hellscape we currently live in.

          Also, there’s a good bit of evidence that dude actually raped women. Clinton was my hero when I was a baby lib, I read his book and everything. I don’t think history will treat his (or his wife’s) memory kindly.

    • ansiz@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Let’s be honest, Obama is at least partially for the USA being in the situation it is now. We don’t need Obama again, we need an actual left candidate that will actually fight for leftist agenda items, like Medicare for all, and not double down on W Bush policies and kill thousands of people with drones.

      Obama ran on a left leaning agenda with major grassroots support, then dismantled that organization and governed as a center right Democrat.

      • troed@fedia.io
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        2 months ago

        The point is that there’s NOTHING that would infuriate Trump more - and any argument for how Trump can run for a third term will also then apply to Obama.

        Any US opinion of what’s “left” and “right” is unparseable for us who live in Europe anyways.

        • djsoren19@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          2 months ago

          uh, he could lose to AOC and then he’s losing to a black woman that he already hates?

          You’re underestimating how easy it is to infuriate Trump, and overestimating how worthwhile it is. I’d much sooner have that fat fuck drown in his own blood than want to get a rise out of him. Instead of letting in a shitty moderate who ultimately enabled Donald Trump for the lulz, I’d prefer we get someone who will re-establish the rule of law and imprison Trump and all of his cronies.

        • Rookwood@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          2 months ago

          If you sink to their level, they will beat you with experience. You think you can out-troll the nihilistic right. You can’t. Leftism is based on the idea of actually giving af.

      • barneypiccolo@lemm.ee
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        2 months ago

        If we manage to emerge from this with MAGA destroyed, we will have a rare opportunity to rebuild this nation, and the LAST thing we should do is go back to the same old-same old, with weak, spineless, Democratic weenies like Obama, Schumer, and their weasely ilk.

        We need to have bold, courageous Democratic elected representatives who will hold the line when the Nazis try to rise again, and fight them with everything we have. Not like the last time, when they bent over at every opportunity.

  • Raiderkev@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    He got into power rigging the election with Elon, Russia, and ballotproof. He will magically get enough seats in the midterm to overturn the 22nd and be king til he dies if successful.

    • Doctor_Satan@lemm.ee
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      2 months ago

      Republicans would have to win two thirds of state legislatures with MAGA loyalists to even bring a vote to overturn the 22nd. There is no way that happens legally, and Republicans know it. If they plan on a third Trump term, my bet is they will either be ignoring the 22nd altogether, or enacting emergency powers to suspend the entire Constitution indefinitely.

  • yeehaw@lemmy.ca
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    2 months ago

    I think I’d be surprised if he lived that long. I know he’s “in perfect health” but that’s getting quite up there.

    • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      I think he would run and “serve” no matter what he needs to do. Taking naps and putting brown-nosers fully to work doing his bidding 90% of the day is a small price to pay for a narcissist obsessed with being talked about

      I think it will take his death or Republicans growing an ounce of spine to remove him

  • neukenindekeuken@sh.itjust.works
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    2 months ago

    Let’s be honest. His health isn’t going to make it. But regardless, if true, we should run Obama against him just so he can lose to a black man, again, before he dies.

    • coyootje@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Are you really willing to bet the future of the country on this? Evil has a way of sticking around way longer than you’d think…

      • neukenindekeuken@sh.itjust.works
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        2 months ago

        Absolutely not. I would rather the constitution not get used like toilet paper for this waste of human space. But if they go full authoritarian, why not lean into it and play our own hand in a similar vein?

        I’m tired of taking the high road against fascists.

        • ExtantHuman@lemm.ee
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          2 months ago

          “legitimizing” their attempt to tear up the constitution by also doing it isn’t how you save it…

          • neukenindekeuken@sh.itjust.works
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            2 months ago

            I might be getting misunderstood here.

            They are going to make an attempt for a third term. They are going to claim some constitutional loophole and the SCOTUS is going to agree with them.

            This is and always has been their plan. They’ve been screaming it from the rafters for the last 8+ years.

            This will happen one way or another, Trump will likely get “cleared” for a third term for some bullshit reason that every “constitutional lawyer” will decry foul on, but it will still happen because the pillars of our democracy have already crumbled.

            After that happens, we can either try and fight it and live in the past, or we can lean into it and adapt to fascism to fight fire with fire until such time that we can rebuild the pillars of our democracy.

            The 2 term limit was added as an amendment in 1947 after FDR was so damn popular that he would have just kept running and winning until he died, and the other side didn’t like it.

            They fascists should be more scared of repealing the 2 term limit than progressives, if they studied history. Which they don’t. So here we are.

      • mister_flibble@lemm.ee
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        2 months ago

        So did Steve Jobs.

        All the medical expertise in the world mean jack dick if one is too much of an egomaniacal jackass to admit that the doctors may, in fact, know better than you.

        Should we put all our eggs in that basket? Absolutely the fuck not, but it does still bear noting.

        • samus12345@lemm.ee
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          2 months ago

          He’s an idiot, but he does has shown a willingness to follow medical advice. He got vaccinated against covid, after all.

          • mister_flibble@lemm.ee
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            2 months ago

            Yeah, Jobs is admittedly an imperfect comparison because Trump doesn’t seem the type to try and combat cancer with fruit salad and good vibes (that seems like more of an RFK thing if any of them). I could, however, absolutely see Trump firing any doctor who dared suggest major lifestyle changes or anything like that until he ends up with some quack who will happily tell him whatever he wants to hear as long as the check clears. Shitcanning anyone who has the audacity to try to be the adult in the room and replacing them with whatever sycophant chortles his balls with the most enthusiasm is like half his personality. That’s gonna be a major fucking hindrance to anyone who’s job would involve at least occasionally giving him bad news.

      • neukenindekeuken@sh.itjust.works
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        2 months ago

        Ah, but his dad wasn’t eating cheeseburgers every day and refusing to work out because he thinks it’ll kill him faster.

        Plus, his dad was in a bad way for the last decade or so of his life.

        You’re right though, he could live to be 90. Which would suck. But somehow, I just have to imagine there’s only so far the best medical care in the world will take you when you’re on adderall and pepsi/hamburders all day.

      • neukenindekeuken@sh.itjust.works
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        2 months ago

        As mentioned in another reply, this is more fighting fire with fire sort of thing. They’re going to trample all over the constitution one way or another here it looks like. They already have. the SCOTUS has legislated some incredibly unconstitutional rulings in the last several years, so it’s going to keep happening.

        We can either stick our heads in the sand and say: NO, MUH CONSTITNTUION, and hide behind what is ultimately just a piece of paper with some words on it if nobody in power is willing to defend it; or we can adapt and fight fire with fire until we can fix the institutions that have collapsed and recover our democracy.

        If you try and take the high road with fascists, they’ll just keep winning. That’s literally what Fascism was created to destroy.

    • DarkFuture@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      His health isn’t going to make it.

      Doesn’t matter. Then we get Vance and the same situation continues. The GOP apparatus is a fascist movement. It’s possible it dies with Dear Leader, but the next up to bat will most likely step in and not much will change.

    • stabby_cicada@slrpnk.net
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      2 months ago

      The plan is to argue that only two consecutive terms bar someone from running for a third term, and have the Supreme Court’s Republican majority rubber stamp it, so Trump can run and Obama can’t.

  • Auzy@aussie.zone
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    2 months ago

    Third term has nothing to do with being a grift for money or whatever. He’s using that as a tool for power

    It’s simple. He’s going to jail when he’s done being president. And he’s pissed off so many people he’s definitely getting shanked

    He cannot pardon himself for state crimes

    The entire point of running a 3rd term is to stay out of jail

        • faythofdragons@slrpnk.net
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          2 months ago

          To put on my own conspiracy hat for a moment, he’s getting set up to be the fall guy. He’s following a playbook he didn’t write, the people that did write Project 2025 know how unpopular it will be, and the final play is setting trump up as the tyrant to be deposed by a real dictator. Sure hope I’m wrong.

          • superkret@feddit.org
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            2 months ago

            My worst nightmare is him getting killed right before the next election cycle ramps up and the fascists running a campaign “in memory of Trump”.
            Maybe they’ll have kicked off the war with Iran by then too, so they can say “This is no time for a change in leadership”.

      • Auzy@aussie.zone
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        2 months ago

        He got convicted. Just not given a prison sentence

        And he can’t pardon State crimes. Tax fraud is serious. And there is no where to escalate this to. He has no control over the courts in ny

        He only wasn’t sent to jaildue to the possibility it would be considered election interference.

        And, I’m not sure he can’t even appeal it

    • hansolo@lemm.ee
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      2 months ago

      “Power crests power. The more power you weild, the more you accumulate.”

      • Curtis Yarvin, brologarch that wants Trump to literally mass-drown journalists and Dems in foam to seize power.
      • Auzy@aussie.zone
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        2 months ago

        Why do you think he ran for presidency again… He was convicted. Legally, he can’t argue he’s running for a 3rd term, so the judge can’t make the same. The only thing the judge did was say he’d postpone sentencing…

        • 13igTyme@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          I would love to live in this fairytale land where Trump actually faces consequences, but unfortunately that will never happen and people need to face reality and focus on minimizing damage.

    • CptOblivius@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      He is going to ride the courts until he dies or too old to care. They had 4 years to lock him up for his previous crimes including Jan 6th. He won’t see jail time and he knows it

      • Auzy@aussie.zone
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        2 months ago

        Doesn’t matter. Remember how stressed he appeared during the last lawsuits.

        Make the prick stress the fuck out so he can’t sleep at night

        • pyre@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          he couldn’t sleep at night because he was getting all his sleep during the hearings

      • Auzy@aussie.zone
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        2 months ago

        During his presidency…

        And he can’t pardon state crimes

        God knows how many more state crimes have been queued up since then…

        • Ledericas@lemm.ee
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          2 months ago

          its not likes going to jail for state charges anyways, the courts just strung along all the cases , so they can make it look like they did something.