Andrew Weissmann: Trump Could Order DOJ Officials to Open a Sham Investigation into His Political Rival and He’d Be Immune from Criminal Prosecution

WEISSMANN So I d ░░░░░░░░ to pick up on ░░░░░░░░ part that you were ░░░░░░░░ from Justice Sotomayor because ░░░░░░░░ talks about this parade ░░░░░░░░ horribles and one of ░░░░░░░░ things that was so ░░░░░░░░ is Justice Roberts does ░░░░░░░░ address them He does ░░░░░░░░ talk about how the ░░░░░░░░ that the majority opinion ░░░░░░░░ out in any way ░░░░░░░░ give us any comfort ░░░░░░░░ there is a problem ░░░░░░░░ that the the using ░░░░░░░░ Team Six he just ░░░░░░░░ these are fanciful He ░░░░░░░░ t in any way ░░░░░░░░ why this test of ░░░░░░░░ it s official conduct ░░░░░░░░ s immune why everything ░░░░░░░░ Justice Sotomayor is saying ░░░░░░░░ not completely something to ░░░░░░░░ about And wait there ░░░░░░░░ more The majority opinion ░░░░░░░░ with respect to the ░░░░░░░░ of Justice that part ░░░░░░░░ the criminal case that ░░░░░░░░ brought by Jack Smith ░░░░░░░░ out Why Because that ░░░░░░░░ the under the take ░░░░░░░░ clause of the Constitution ░░░░░░░░ is exclusively within the ░░░░░░░░ s power And so ░░░░░░░░ where there is a ░░░░░░░░ prosecution he is immune ░░░░░░░░ think about for a ░░░░░░░░ The relationship of the ░░░░░░░░ to the Department of ░░░░░░░░ is even if the ░░░░░░░░ knows it s an ░░░░░░░░ it s a sham ░░░░░░░░ immune Wallace So let ░░░░░░░░ ask you about things ░░░░░░░░ already happened because they ░░░░░░░░ seem to write in ░░░░░░░░ hypothetical manner when all ░░░░░░░░ the hypotheticals have in ░░░░░░░░ ways inched toward coming ░░░░░░░░ pass Donald Trump sought ░░░░░░░░ prosecute Hillary Clinton and ░░░░░░░░ Comey and others as ░░░░░░░░ as 2017 The New ░░░░░░░░ Times broke the story ░░░░░░░░ early 2018 or late ░░░░░░░░ Don McGahn serves as ░░░░░░░░ guardrail against those prosecutions ░░░░░░░░ does this mean if ░░░░░░░░ s no Don McGahn ░░░░░░░░ the second Trump presidency ░░░░░░░░ he proceeds with doing ░░░░░░░░ WEISSMANN So the people ░░░░░░░░ are not immune would ░░░░░░░░ the people under the ░░░░░░░░ They don t enjoy ░░░░░░░░ immunity Wallace But Sotomayor ░░░░░░░░ about pardons WEISSMANN Exactly ░░░░░░░░ there s a I ░░░░░░░░ going to say Wallace ░░░░░░░░ s already happened too ░░░░░░░░ mean there was reporting ░░░░░░░░ The New York Times ░░░░░░░░ he sought to shoot ░░░░░░░░ at the border and ░░░░░░░░ promised the Border Patrol ░░░░░░░░ that he would give ░░░░░░░░ pardons WEISSMANN Yes right ░░░░░░░░ that the normal check ░░░░░░░░ the word normal The ░░░░░░░░ under this decision can ░░░░░░░░ the Department of Justice ░░░░░░░░ a weapon and is ░░░░░░░░ They have taken that ░░░░░░░░ of the case out ░░░░░░░░ as they say they ░░░░░░░░ the allegation is it ░░░░░░░░ a sham I mean ░░░░░░░░ imagine the hypothetical I ░░░░░░░░ been posing today is ░░░░░░░░ that there is a ░░░░░░░░ recording of the president ░░░░░░░░ bring a fake case ░░░░░░░░ my political rival I ░░░░░░░░ there s no proof ░░░░░░░░ bring it and I ░░░░░░░░ him prosecuted Under this ░░░░░░░░ Wallace But we have ░░░░░░░░ too in the perfect ░░░░░░░░ WEISSMANN Yes Wallace laughs ░░░░░░░░ an ally WEISSMANN Absolutely ░░░░░░░░ is not so much ░░░░░░░░ a hypothetical And the ░░░░░░░░ check would be which ░░░░░░░░ discussed during the oral ░░░░░░░░ would be that the ░░░░░░░░ level people would not ░░░░░░░░ immunity But you already ░░░░░░░░ the president saying but ░░░░░░░░ t worry about it ░░░░░░░░ will commit crimes for ░░░░░░░░ because I will make ░░░░░░░░ will pardon you for ░░░░░░░░ So this this is ░░░░░░░░ I m going to ░░░░░░░░ from Nicolle Wallace which ░░░░░░░░ this is like The ░░░░░░░░ Sense which is you ░░░░░░░░ the Supreme Court in ░░░░░░░░ exists but None of ░░░░░░░░ think that there s ░░░░░░░░ rule of law there ░░░░░░░░ you look at this ░░░░░░░░ it is Wallace Instead ░░░░░░░░ just doesn t know ░░░░░░░░ WEISSMANN: “Yeah, exactly.”