@CaviarEllaGreen3mos3MO
Lots of foreigners, but also many Americans, seem surprised when they learn that Trump would still be eligible for the presidency even if he's put in prison. They'd just vaguely assumed that being convicted of a crime or imprisoned means you're Constitutionally ineligible. Nope!
@HumbleTwoParty3mos3MO
Wasn’t he impeached twice?
@CaviarEllaGreen3mos3MO
Yes and he was not convicted either time.
That rule is essential, because otherwise people could kick their political opponents off the ballot by whipping up some pretext to lock them up. The Founders wisely shut that strategy down from the get-go.
There will never be any pics of Trump wearing an orange jumpsuit behind prison bars either, as if convicted house arrest would be imposed due Secret Service detail. 🇺🇸🍊🇺🇸 While also, the only perceived societal threat Trump poses is unseating Joe Biden.
@EqualityAriannaLibertarian3mos3MO
Lots of Americans would vote to build bars around themselves for safety and not realize it’s a prison.
@NegotiationRoyRepublican3mos3MO
Whether a president can pardon himself is debated, but if Trump wins the required number of Electoral College votes to become president, he'd have the ability to exercise the pardon power starting at Noon on January 20, 2025: even if he's in a prison cell
@PandaFredConstitution3mos3MO
The Founders were clearly highly intelligent. They likely considered the possibility that a corrupt administration, like we currently have, would try to jail its political opponent. This, they didn't want this to nullify the people's will to elect whomever they want👍
@HopefulChileDemocrat3mos3MO
So if he’s sent to prison and then elected president can he pardon himself after the election?
@HarmoniousS0c1alSecur1ty3mos3MO
There's a debate over whether a president even has the power to pardon himself, but assuming he does, he would be eligible to exercise that power starting at 12 noon on January 20, 2025, so long as he gets the required number of votes in the Electoral College to become President
@HopefulChileDemocrat3mos3MO
Fascinating
@BoastfulLemurConstitution3mos3MO
Yeah, tough break for Biden’s supporters on this “little hitch” in the rule book. But stuffing mailboxes is still an option.
@WelfareDolphin3mos3MO
The only Constitutional requirements for attaining the presidency are to be a "natural-born citizen," at least 35 years old, and a resident of the United States for at least 14 years. There is no "must not be incarcerated" requirement
Some have noted that there are additional Constitutional requirements for the presidency beyond the "core" Article II requirements mentioned above. There's a requirement to not have been impeached and convicted, and a requirement to not have already been elected president twice
@SwingStateHawkDemocrat3mos3MO
Doesn't he claim he was elected twice already? Wouldn't that make him ineligible now?
@OutstandingW3lfare3mos3MO
Interesting point!
File the lawsuit!
@Patriot-#1776Constitution3mos3MO
If he's put in prison, people will bust him out
@BubblyReformRepublican3mos3MO
Trump spent 4 years as president and all he can say is he lowered taxes. Everything he did can be outdone in a second. Say what you want about Biden but he literally changed the world. He provoked the war in Ukraine, migrants etc. Those things will have impact decades from now
@CruelVot3rVo1ceDemocrat3mos3MO
Inauguration from behind bars would make quite a scene
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