Luttig: Supreme Court Fiddling While Trump Is an ‘Existential Threat to America’s Democracy’

Velshi Our democracy remains ░░░░░░░░ a knife s edge ░░░░░░░░ justice has not been ░░░░░░░░ and we face the ░░░░░░░░ that the Supreme Court ░░░░░░░░ play a role in ░░░░░░░░ it further Joining me ░░░░░░░░ is the retired former ░░░░░░░░ judge J Michael Luttig ░░░░░░░░ previously served on the ░░░░░░░░ Circuit Court of Appeals ░░░░░░░░ he helped this country ░░░░░░░░ a constitutional crisis when ░░░░░░░░ January 5th 2012 he ░░░░░░░░ then Vice President Mike ░░░░░░░░ that he did not ░░░░░░░░ the authority to not ░░░░░░░░ Joe Biden s victory ░░░░░░░░ to what Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ pressuring Mike Pence to ░░░░░░░░ Judge it s good ░░░░░░░░ see you this morning ░░░░░░░░ you for joining us ░░░░░░░░ Good morning Ali Thank ░░░░░░░░ for having me on ░░░░░░░░ you this morning Velshi ░░░░░░░░ as you posted on ░░░░░░░░ media after the hearing ░░░░░░░░ Supreme Court hearing oral ░░░░░░░░ on Thursday one of ░░░░░░░░ takeaways was that quote ░░░░░░░░ court and the parties ░░░░░░░░ everything but the specific ░░░░░░░░ presented I want to ░░░░░░░░ what you believe the ░░░░░░░░ question that the court ░░░░░░░░ have been considering is ░░░░░░░░ why it didn t ░░░░░░░░ in addressing it LUTTIG ░░░░░░░░ the Supreme Court has ░░░░░░░░ fiddled while Rome has ░░░░░░░░ burned to the ground ░░░░░░░░ but trivializing the existential ░░░░░░░░ to America s democracy ░░░░░░░░ the rule of law ░░░░░░░░ the country America s ░░░░░░░░ and the rule of ░░░░░░░░ are the heart and ░░░░░░░░ of the nation It ░░░░░░░░ our democracy and the ░░░░░░░░ of law that have ░░░░░░░░ America the beacon of ░░░░░░░░ for the world for ░░░░░░░░ 250 years Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ attempt to overturn the ░░░░░░░░ presidential election did drive ░░░░░░░░ stake through America s ░░░░░░░░ and the rule of ░░░░░░░░ His efforts to overturn ░░░░░░░░ election both disqualified him ░░░░░░░░ the presidency under the ░░░░░░░░ Amendment and it rendered ░░░░░░░░ subject to prosecution for ░░░░░░░░ offenses against the United ░░░░░░░░ Yet three and a ░░░░░░░░ years later the former ░░░░░░░░ has remained unapologetically defiant ░░░░░░░░ week he argued as ░░░░░░░░ said to a receptive ░░░░░░░░ Court that he is ░░░░░░░░ immune from prosecution for ░░░░░░░░ offenses indeed that all ░░░░░░░░ must be absolutely immune ░░░░░░░░ prosecution for the crimes ░░░░░░░░ commit while in office ░░░░░░░░ order that he and ░░░░░░░░ future presidents will be ░░░░░░░░ to faithfully execute the ░░░░░░░░ without fear that they ░░░░░░░░ be held accountable for ░░░░░░░░ crimes they commit while ░░░░░░░░ office That is an ░░░░░░░░ argument That it s ░░░░░░░░ being made before the ░░░░░░░░ Court is an embarrassment ░░░░░░░░ the Constitution and to ░░░░░░░░ country This said the ░░░░░░░░ Court s seriously entertained ░░░░░░░░ former president s argument ░░░░░░░░ this week clearly telegraphing ░░░░░░░░ it was tempted by ░░░░░░░░ preposterous argument all the ░░░░░░░░ barely even mentioning the ░░░░░░░░ and only question presented ░░░░░░░░ the court for decision ░░░░░░░░ whether the former president ░░░░░░░░ be prosecuted for the ░░░░░░░░ offenses he committed in ░░░░░░░░ to overturn the 2020 ░░░░░░░░ and remain in power ░░░░░░░░ the will of the ░░░░░░░░ people Ali there s ░░░░░░░░ even an argument under ░░░░░░░░ Constitution that a president ░░░░░░░░ the United States is ░░░░░░░░ from prosecution for attempting ░░░░░░░░ overturn an American election ░░░░░░░░ in office and cling ░░░░░░░░ power in defiance of ░░░░░░░░ will of the American ░░░░░░░░ The argument itself makes ░░░░░░░░ mockery out of the ░░░░░░░░ our democracy and our ░░░░░░░░ of law You know ░░░░░░░░ president can t be ░░░░░░░░ accountable under the Constitution ░░░░░░░░ this gravest of offenses ░░░░░░░░ the country then presidents ░░░░░░░░ be held accountable for ░░░░░░░░ crime that they commit ░░░░░░░░ they hold the office ░░░░░░░░ the president of the ░░░░░░░░ States.”