Trump's Bad Defenses and Worse Lawyering

[@LegalEagle]

🦅 I know I didn't get to the unsealed affidavit, but it's heavily redacted and I HAD TO GET THIS VIDEO OUT. I CAN'T KEEP FILMING MORE THINGS. 📚 Get a free trial of Audible! legaleagle.link/audible

[@hellspawn1226]

Thank you legal eagle 💜

[@arnaldoalange3869]

Hey, can you do a video on Business Casual suing KZbin? I would love to see your take on that situation.

[@martinwyke]

The silly excuses of Trump seem like a deliberate concerted attempt to taint potential jurors.

[@tsk9277]

I imagine this is keeping you quite busy.

[@tangentreverent4821]

That makes sense, thank you

[@adamsherman3655]

“But what should we do when the highborn and wealthy take to crime? Indeed, if a poor man will spend a year in prison for stealing out of hunger, how high would the gallows need to be to hang the rich man who breaks the law out of greed?” ― Terry Pratchett, Snuff

[@Maladjester]

I will never not upvote a Pratchett quote.

[@markymark1256]

Genuine question - is there a joke/irony in here or am I reading into it? At the end of the day, the height of the gallows makes no difference in a hanging, and results in the same punishment. So higher gallows only passes as a worse punishment to onlookers, but in fact makes no difference

[@awokentotime7157]

@@markymark1256 no clue if this is not necessarily true but I think Pratchet here is talking about the wealthy man's gallows being smaller than the poor man's, therefore not killing them for things a poorer man would be.

[@spookshow]

@@markymark1256 You're reading into it, I think - or rather, that's kinda their point. The character is asking what the punishment should be for a crime that significant. They're pointing out the injustice that being poor is almost a crime unto itself, while the rich and powerful cause harm every day for no reason other than greed, and often escape punishment because they go to the same country club as the DA. If things were equal, the punishment for the latter would be so much worse than what the poor man suffers, and yet there is no way for that to be possible, because no matter how high the gallows, everyone's just received the punishment of death... there is no way to achieve true justice here, and all things aren't equal, and the rich man will escape the punishment the poor man would receive. I wish I could remember what character it was. It feels like a Vetinari line but he's a man who throws mimes in a scorpion pit, so.

[@TheInkieSquid]

@@awokentotime7157 When I read Snuff, the quoted section left me with the impression that if a year is fair punishment for the poor person stealing out of necessity, then the punishment for someone breaking the law because of greed would have to be significantly worse. So, if for example hanging a man for negligence would mean a 10 foot drop maybe mass murder would grant a 200 foot drop. This would make the hanging (or falling) period, and therefore the punishment, last longer for the condemned. It's been a long time since I read the book though and from the quote it can easily be inferred in the way that @AwokenToTime has so without going back to the source and confirming the context it's hard to say with certainty, and even then it might remain ambiguous.

[@ajvanmarle]

It's quite impressive that someone can quote Richard Nixon with a straight face and claim that 'Nixon said what I do is legal'.

[@dracoargentum9783]

I disagree: lack of morals isn't a chore.

[@nasonguy]

Many individuals on the right still believe that Nixon was in the right and was a good person/president.

[@rnpee]

Hey, at least Nixon resigned.

[@jakdrickson7035]

whats truly impressive is that no one seems to notice Watergate happening again in front of our faces

[@jpdemer5]

When you're a Faux Snooze gasbag, you say what they pay you to say - and if you can't do it with a straight face they'll get somebody else to say it.

[@DivineTiming8888]

What bothers me the most about this entire fiasco, is the flippant disrespect towards our legal system and laws set in place. It bothers me that as an average citizen, I could never get away with any of this, but once a man becomes president all of a sudden they’re lord of the country, it’s just weird.

[@War_Maker]

Not just the president, his grifting circle committed criminal acts too.

[@melindoranightsilver9298]

$$$$ talks, add partisan politics and decent lawyers (while he was in the White House) and of course he would get away with things. The lawyers and partisan politics saved him the 1st time Partisan politics saved him the 2nd. He keeps losing lawyers each time and other attorneys don't want to touch the case.

[@GathClips]

Its super weird. And his supporters, act like he is jesus born again... its just gross

[@KTPurdy]

Bingo. Very good point.

[@a-rat-in-your-walls]

@@GathClips They're a regular Jonestown aren't they

[@putts6225]

Trump’s policy is Schrodinger’s declassification - all documents are both classified and declassified until Trump checks what the document is and decides whether it is classified or declassified.

[@worldsfunniestvideosandbes3684]

Quantum sciences reference- Schrodinger’s Cat to be precise. 😂🤣

[@jrooksable]

​@@worldsfunniestvideosandbes3684a useless mental exercise!🙄

[@erikhendrickson59]

If anything, our elected officials should be held to a HIGHER standard of ethics than the average citizen. The idea that any single person, even the president, can unilaterally declassify anything they want to, with no witnesses or officiation, is a completely ridiculous notion.

[@02smithm1]

Yes! This☝️☝️☝️☝️

[@srh667]

Why, they and their donors own everything. Why would they care about ethics when there are no consequences to their actions?

[@crestothegecko6279]

there have been so many ridiculous things that donald trump has done while in office that have gone unpunished or only a slap on the wrist. It's just so draining seeing people get away with things that would ruin almost anyone else's life just because they're famous and influential

[@loturzelrestaurant]

@@02smithm1 Legal Eagle becomes more and more of a News-Dude, but he cant replace "Some More News".

[@TedKan-k9j]

Well said!

[@ExUSSailor]

Well, when you refuse to pay your GOOD lawyers, they drop you as a client. Then, you're left with the B-Team. In this case, I think Trump's down to the Z-Team.

[@Fuglychick]

Is Z for Zero?

[@Vesperitis]

I think at this point we've run out of alphabets and have to use African click sound symbols.

[@kitsunekaze93]

in sweden, after Z there is ÅÄÖ as well, so the Ö-team! funnily enough, Ö is also a single letter word which means "island", which he might have to escape to in order to avoid jail time

[@triadwarfare]

@@Vesperitis if you ran out of alphabets, you can always use another one, like after Z, use AA, AB, etc Trump must be going for the "lowest of the low class lawyers", where they barely passed law school and didn't deserve it because he got lucky.

[@theomegajuice8660]

And the troubling thing about that is Trump would have a MUCH better chance of getting away with this whole thing if he just had a bit more money and could afford to pay his bills

[@marrier9999]

Imagine being a thief with a sense of entitlement so vast that after you're caught with stolen items you demand them back just because you think you own everything by mere thought.

[@MagnakayViolet]

Then you have the thief and his friend saying that he deserves to keep the stolen items as a reward for stopping the items from being stolen by someone else(who doesn't exist)

[@GeorgeDCowley]

Or at least did when you took it.

[@catholicdad]

Yeah . . . Imagine. You do a lot of that I'm guessing. So, who exactly are you talking about?

[@GeorgeDCowley]

@@catholicdad Trump.

[@nvelsen1975]

I'm confused, are you talking about Trump or the average BLM looter? Ah what am I saying, there's not really a difference at the end of the day. Both have completely lost the plot, both are horribly racist and both should be kept far away from power or influence, and not be left unattended in a room with any women, children or small animals.

[@andreasniedam9945]

I love how Rick Grenell seems to basically think that the U.S. President is basically something like a monarch. "Who is he supposed to notify?" Like if he's basically above everything and anything, like there aren't any mechanism of supervision. Speaks volumes of how certain people think of positions of power.

[@jessekedar]

Really Ironic considering during the revolutionary war(if I remember right), some suggested naming Washington "king "and he was adamantly against the idea because of how people felt about the monarchy's absolute power

[@kcrknp]

@@jessekedar GOP is absolutely fine with absolute power, as long as it's their guy. They would never begin to try to apply any of their Trump apologetics to Biden or Clinton

[@catholicdad]

@@jessekedar YOU ARE CORRECT!

[@catholicdad]

@@kcrknp You're so right! The Democrats set a fine example of governance. End quote Repeat the line

[@quattordicimontenapoleone3113]

How they view republicans in power. It's very important with oversight and scandal when democrats do it.

[@xXESproductionsXx]

The defenders simultaneously want less government power while saying stuff like 'the president can declassify documents with his mind' and 'if the president does it, it is not illegal' How does that make any sense

[@HolyknightVader999]

It does not. Trump just gave Biden more power with his statements.

[@lukewest7216]

Because they want a king who agrees with them and doesn't let the 'wrong people' have a say in government

[@johnmckenzie6661]

How does it make sense for the head of the military to be the final word on how things are classified? Hmmm. I wonder. There really is no debate. This issue has already been settled in court. Bill Clinton brought home documents that they claimed he shouldn't have. The courts decided that he had that power as the president.

[@fakechuck7659]

Less government power to do what? Your answer is in the answer to that question

[@HolyknightVader999]

@@lukewest7216 Kings actually have to follow the laws of their land or face things like coups and excommunication.

[@jdonvance]

"Who would he notify?" It is often important to remember that the President is NOT at the top of the food chain. He is an employee of the American people.

[@medievalpeanut4269]

And only one third of the co-equal branches of our government.

[@Rainkit]

That shit is brain dead. How do you not know who to notify? That's the first thing you ask when you start a new job. "Who do I give this paper work to?"

[@erisgh0sted961]

Yeah, as much as, I as a citizen pays for the same cops that arrest me. If you really believe that, try firing one, or better yet go to a PD and try to file a complaint.

[@FFKonoko]

@@erisgh0sted961 The point that the president has to answer to people is still true even if the saying "he is an employee of the people" is not literally true But...paying for them is not employing them. Your comparison is dim-witted and obviously flawed. You ignored more recent and more accurate comments and did not even try to compare to a sheriff specifically, who can also be elected at least.

[@BaddeJimme]

@@erisgh0sted961 One random asshole can't fire a cop, but enough political pressure can. Consider Pete Arredondo.

[@ProfessorJayTee]

As a former Fed, I often dealt with sensitive and confidential information. While I sometimes dealt with secret information, I very very seldom saw anything marked top secret, and only ONCE in ten years saw a top secret (sci ?) folder with my own name written on the outside control sheet (giving me permission to open and read inside the folder, only inside a properly SECURED space). None of these documents were treated in a cavalier fashion; there are specific rules and procedures that MUST be followed in how each level of classification is handled. I don't give a damn how famous he was or what position he held: Trump must be held accountable for his serious violations of trust.

[@djx7134]

Spoiler alert: he won't be. Laws are only for the unprivileged class.

[@VeryDeathlyShiny]

I'm curious. Since you have first hand experience. On those confidential folders, are they secured shut in any way? Like, are they just like one of those manila envelopes with the little string fasteners, or is there some kind of clip to keep it from acidentally falling open during transport, or someone "sneaking a peak" while it sits on a desk" or something? Just curious.

[@thesatelliteslickers907]

Yeah ts:sci documents are no joke, The reason the classification is important goes well beyond "this is how we get him" It's actualy a massive security breach that they even managed to exit the secure location they were stored to get to mara Lago, much less how horribly mishandled they were and how God knows what could have fallen into the hands of God knows who

[@driftwisp2797]

@@VeryDeathlyShiny I do not have first hand experience, but it is my understanding that these documents are never meant to leave secure locations where they're properly looked after. So it would never just be sitting on a desk where someone could "sneak a peak", and I'm sure it would be well protected if it needed to be transferred to another secure location.

[@catholicdad]

Allow me to finish your comment: Violations of trust . . . created entirely by a biased media and accepted by those who view information superficially. Let me ask you, as a former DOE Records Officer: What exactly did Trump do wrong? Is there a formal charge I'm unaware of or is all this frenetic activity merely speculation (like the collusion delusion).?

[@mikmikmikmijtheshy8577]

It’s almost like he’s an unreliable walking dumpster fire of a person, and has burned through every competent lawyer that might have been willing to represent him.

[@Burnlit1337]

I love that Fox is now comparing Trump to Nixon, starting with that quote. A truly great comparison.

[@sidrat2009]

Several years too late. Seems Fox Execs have realised they can't make money long term supporting 45. Too little too late. Making Attorneys Get Attorneys.

[@rnpee]

Wow our country’s a joke

[@sidrat2009]

@@rnpee Religious outcasts and criminals fled European countries to the colonies and not much is different.

[@StrickerRei-Chn]

And the whole world knows he is crooked.... So compare Nixon to Trump.... Fox news lost their minds.

[@garyseven710]

But don't you know that if you strip away all the shell companies you'll find that Trump owns Fox News that's why they're always on his side

[@jbbresers]

"I have executive privilege over these documents which I declassified and were planted by the FBI." That is one hell of a sentence/defence/confession/conspiracy theory.

[@scarlett8782]

don't forget also "Barack *Hussein* Obama also took nuclear docs home!" (fact check: obviously, Obama did not take classified docs home)

[@maybemablemaples2144]

In real time he is sussy baka self reporting.

[@nathanmorgan3647]

Well it would be, if the FBI didn't have a history of planting evidence, entrapping aids, falsifying documents, knowingly using a bought and paid for dossier manufactured by a disgraced foreign spy. have two senior agents texting back and forth about needing to take out insurance policies against him getting elected, and lying to a federal court to get permission to conduct an otherwise illegal spy and interference operation.... Neither side has any credibility.

[@charlieburris7277]

Whatever may stick he will throw it

[@FlawlessP401]

@@maybemablemaples2144 disgusting zoomer

[@Firenail187]

I'm starting to suspect that to some degree the bad lawyering is "intentional", with the rationale that since their case is probably lost on the factual front, they can only keep power on the narrative perceived by their base to whom all the various courts' replies probably sound like "technicalities" and "legal mumbo-jumbo". From this perspective, deliberately building bad defenses and baseless arguments to elicit even more responses mired in technical discussions could appear to "confirm", to the eyes of layman voters, the typical narrative of shadowy political enemies fighting dirty with red-tape arguments that don't confront any "real issues". We could then be looking at yet again another "double reality" situation where people with a firmer grasp of legal proceedings (and especially their rationale and meaning) are baffled and outraged at these nonsensical shenanigans, while other people are convinced they are witnessing some sort of dystopian bureaucrats distorting the law to attempt some kind of political attack. If any of my conjectures are even a bit right, it would be important to not just talk about the technical issues (though that's still necessary and important), but also to try and dismantle these kinds of narratives.

[@eidalac]

Yeah, I have a budding concern they want to drag this out into the next election cycle and use it as a wedge issue.

[@22sfs22]

This, absolutely this and nothing else. You hit the nail on the head and there is nothing else to be said. As monty Python put it "Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses" and they are trying to win over the masses while disregarding any rules or checks and balances put to regulate said executive power.

[@krazer9515]

That has been his action for quite some time now. As long as he can keep shifting the narrative, nothing sticks around long enough to convince his followers of his guilt. And as long as he holds the power over voters, the Republican party will do anything in their power to look like they are helping him. Including lieing, misleading voters, and messing with the court system.

[@michaelcrossley4716]

100% they're only concerned with keeping the base from turning on him. As long as they keep 30% believing, they’re chances of getting a favorable juror means the laws won’t matter.

[@lamp5055]

Yeah sounds about right this is just another gotcha technicality. He didn’t steal these documents he was given them and just didn’t give them back on a timely manner. If anything he should get a spanking or a timeout.

[@ArcaneAzmadi]

I'm reminded of a scene from the film 'Liar Liar': *Fletcher:* Your Honor, I object! *Judge:* And why is that, Mr Reede? *Fletcher:* Because it's _devastating_ to my case! *Judge:* Overruled...

[@oneofus6924]

GOOD CALL!

[@quantumjourney1]

I'm impressed that you remember the characters name

[@worldsfunniestvideosandbes3684]

Huh, that’s shocking to hear. And true. 😬 🤦🏼‍♀️

[@NoriMori1992]

Imagine _unironically_ quoting _Nixon_ in somebody's defense! Did they seriously think Nixon came out on top in that argument?!

[@SaintSaint]

Yeah. Fox News

[@CitEnthusiast]

It is important to understand/know that Justice Kavanaugh spent a lot of time after the Nixon administration working on the expansion of the President's powers. There has been a concerted effort by the right to establish the very things T**** is declaring, making these cases more important as those principles are torn down by the courts.

[@jboss119]

All you can do is imagine that, as the clip shows no such thing. It was 1 sentence without any context. Not only was it not Trump or his lawyers who made the statement but the statement is literally a fact in itself. "Nixon famously said if the president does it, It isnt illegal" . that is exactly what the clip says. All the spin is added by you and legal eagle. Its purposeful bias at least by him for his part.

[@RTaco]

@@jboss119 Tucker Carlson literally cited Nixon in the video.

[@jboss119]

@@RTaco timestamp? The only time i saw it clipped in the video here was fox and friends clip and it wasn't tucker carlson talking or was he in the clip at all. In fact i gave the exact quote of what was said in the clip.

[@MrDee001]

Can you imagine saying documents were planted, FBI bad... only then to immediately turn around and say, nevermind I had them all along but I declassified them. Then the plot twist is that you're being prosecuted under the laws you've created intended for a political opponent.

[@Yora21]

The thing with Trump seems to be that he's physically unable to deny anything he did and instead has to brag about them.

[@_Jake.From.Statefarm_]

I can now. I just watched it happen. Before that? No I couldn't have imagined because I thought he was actually savvy enough from a legal perspective to manipulate his decisions. Apparently, unlike the criminal organization he runs, he can't just throw everyone under him under the bus as easily. He's tried, almost to no end. Now they will just share the table.

[@tonyvelasquez6776]

I assure you he knows exactly what he's doing.. he's throwing shit at the wall to confuse the people, so that his followers aren't entirely sure or what the truth is but keep hearing ways it may be false. It's not about court, it's about public opinion

[@ricardoconqueso]

@@Yora21 ​ @Yora Trump literally believe he doesnt do anything wrong. Trump claims to be a Christian. When asked by moderator Frank Lutz whether he has ever asked God for forgiveness of his actions, Trump said, “I'm not sure I have. I just go on and try to do a better job from there. I don't think so. I think if I do something wrong, I think, I just try and make it right. I don't bring God into that picture. I don't.”

[@aralornwolf3140]

@@_Jake.From.Statefarm_ , He was breaking the law within months of swearing he'll abide by the Constitution... the evidence was all over his twitter feed.....

[@totallymarc]

One of the first concepts we're taught in schools when learning about how our government works is the idea of "Rule of Law," stating that no official is above the law, not even the sitting President of the United States. This concept is literally elementary level, how hard is it for them to understand that?

[@DannyStopMotions]

Trump is a dictator to these people. They want fascism.

[@Maladjester]

You're assuming people paid any attention whatsoever in school. I've lost count of the adults I've known who couldn't find America on a globe (and half a dozen who rejected the globe entirely), couldn't make change for a dollar, couldn't understand that angels/horoscopes/crystal power aren't real, couldn't read at a fourth grade level, couldn't understand their feelings and reality being two separate things, and so on. For a dismally high proportion of citizens, public education might as well have been twelve years of cartoons.

[@johnstevenson9956]

"If the President does it, then it isn't illegal" is one of the scariest things I've ever heard.

[@nicolasandre9886]

Makes Trump's claim that he could shoot somebody and not lose a single voter even scarier. Well, at least he's not president anymore, but if he doesn't go to jail until the next US presidential election...

[@Camazotz-kz9wr]

If you want to torture and kill someone, just become president! You can show it on live TV and you'll face no consequences! yay!

[@donnievance1942]

It kills me how Trump referred to Article II of the Constiturtion: "Then I have an Article two, where have the right to do whatever I want as President..." Wtf --- HE has an Article II? The Constitution belongs to Trump? I just re-read Article II. There is nothing in Article II that remotely suggests that the President has the right to do whatever he wants. Trump should have been impeached and removed from office just for making that statement. It shows beyond question that Trump has a construction of law that makes him a dictator.

[@KingBobXVI]

Considering one of the questions on the US citizenship test is "what is the rule of law" and it's definitely not that, everyone who makes that claim, Nixon, Trump, and Fox guy included, should automatically lose their citizenship.

[@josephang9927]

If the judge arrests you it is not illegal either.

[@jasonlast7091]

I like the idea that Trump can declassify things with just his mind. Like what if he accidentally thought about declassifying the launch codes? Does that make them declassified for whatever arbitrary period of time until he thinks to reclassify them? Foreign agents could have a field day. “Don’t think about the pink elephant”

[@mergele1000]

Chinese Spy: "I did not conduct espionage, the president declassified them 3 years ago with his thoughts!" Judge: "Mr president, is that true?" President: "I can not recollect every thought I had three years ago so can not refute that statement as 100% false." Judge: "In doubito pro reo, you are free to go I guess."

[@murrayjeffree8245]

One problem is that even were that the case, if the process isn't followed to relabel the documents then his successor would essentially automatically reclassify them the same way. For example Biden having the thought "documents labelled classified are classified" would have reclassified the documents in Trump's possession.

[@jasonlast7091]

@@murrayjeffree8245 All it takes is one rogue thought that we can neither prove did or didn’t happen. “Schrödingers classification” if you will.

[@tifforo1]

Plus, if Trump can declassify documents with his mind (right before stealing them and taking them home), and if this really was a political stunt like Trump claims, couldn't Biden re-classify the documents with HIS mind right before the raid?

[@herzkine]

Of course not it only counts when its on Twitter or the banned ones alt.

[@mangarang]

As a government employee who deals with classified information I can assure you that if any other government employee had ‘spilled’ (government term) this much classified material at these levels of classification they’d be well on their way to prison for the rest of their life.

[@xakannax]

sadly trump will probably get out of this without any issues like always (maybe throwing a few people under the bus along the way) and use it to further his next campaign saying he was targeted. its scary how much people that are/were president get away (while in office they are apparently untouchable if their party likes them enough and while there they get to decide who runs all the offices that might later investigate them)

[@emmawillard1832]

For a civilian: criminal charges, arrest, no bail and eventual disposition with a long stay in a federal Grey Bar Hotel and Day Spa. For military: court martial charges, arrest, brig or stockade, no bail and a long tour of duty with MPs for company.

[@aa-tx7th]

trump and all its cronies are LONG past prison time executions for all of them are the only thing that will heal this country

[@anonymouse9833]

Same, and agreed.

[@justabookworm1382]

Yes, just look at what happened to Reality Winner. And, yes, that is her real, legal name.

[@ninakrishnamurthy6674]

Wasn't "if the President does it, it is not illegal" established not to be the case in Marbury v. Madison, one of the earliest and most important cases in the history of the Supreme Court?!

[@TheMangoMussolini]

Not really. It established for the first time that federal courts had the power to overturn an act of Congress on the ground that it violated the U.S. Constitution. The issue revolved around William Marbury, a prominent financier and Federalist, sued Secretary of State James Madison in response to not being served his commission for justice of the peace for Washington, D.C. Marbury requested the U.S. Supreme Court issue a writ of mandamus to force Madison to deliver the commission. (A writ of mandamus is a court order for a government official to fulfill their obligation under the law.) It was power politics, start to finish. CJ Marshall wanted to expand the power of the Court and used this case as a way of doing so. By ruling that the Judiciary Act of 1789 (the basis upon which Marbury sought mandamus) Marshall implicitly gave the courts the power to decide which laws were and weren't constitutional. The actual outcome of the case isn't the important part of this (Marshall actually ruled in Jefferson's and Madison's favor), it was the way in which Marshall deftly skirted the real issue and established the doctrine of judicial review.

[@peterwright5311]

It's the Alex Jones situation all over again - where the perpetrator of these ridiculous actions has made such a mess it is literally impossible for a lawyer to defend them.

[@warlordofbritannia]

I think it’s worse because Trump is smearing the FBI You don’t mess with the FBI and get away with just a slap on the wrist

[@MichaelSplatkins]

That and the lawyers seem absolutely intent on screwing their grotesquely malevolent, f@#$witted clients. Kudos if this is all the purposeful derailment of Fascist pigs.

[@MrDoctorJosiah45]

Or the lawyer is a globalist trying to bring down the good guy

[@justabookworm1382]

If we got another Alex Jones perjury moment, but with Donald Trump, that would make me so happy

[@Rikard_Nilsson]

@@justabookworm1382 He would try to speak over the judge on day one and then implicate himself without realizing it, probably while trying to represent himself since he is the best lawyer, the greatest.

[@TheEvertw]

My conclusion of all this: it was a grave error not to prosecute Nixon and leave Ford's corrupt pardon of Nixon unchallenged.

[@mattm8932]

Trump makes Nixon look like Betty White.

[@brandyhuber5323]

And people have argued Biden should pardon Trump.

[@DavidWest2]

The arguments to pardon trump will be stronger than the arguments to pardon Nixon (nobody was gonna riot for Nixon). But that only makes the consequences of not doing so far worse. Trump must face jail

[@jaschabull2365]

@@brandyhuber5323 Have they actually argued it's in Biden's own interests to do so? I'd like to hear how that could be considering this is the guy who had people hold a riot to try to keep Biden out of office.

[@TheEvertw]

@@brandyhuber5323 We may have to deal with a self-pardon at some point, because of course he has pardoned himself. That would be unconstitutional, as it would place the President above the Law and above the two other co-equal branches of government. But with the loonies running SCOTUS, who knows what they will decide.

[@johan.ohgren]

"I can do whatever I want as President", "When the President does, it´s not illegal" how is that not fascism in a nutshell?

[@averyj.steele1074]

It is, and his supporters are in love with it.

[@laurahubbard6906]

Even Nixon had the wherewithal to resign.

[@OrlaTheVillain7466]

it is and the horrible part is that its true the US will never prosecute a president and if it comes to that i wouldn't be surprised if biden pardons trump soley because " it makes the US look bad". the United States has always been a fash hellhole

[@dragon723.]

I mean its not. They have passed monarchy and other more advanced systems of government, heading for pure and simple despotism. There is no law say what the currently strongest says is law and therefore that person cannot break the law, as it exist solely by their will.

[@dinncorp2754]

@rene Christensen it would be

[@lohphat]

“A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear.” (Taylor Caldwell)

[@remy333]

Ironic seeing this here.

[@srcastic8764]

Trump has certainly been the biggest traitor we’ve ever seen and has spread his treason to half the country to such a point it will continue well into the future. Worse, they believe they are the only true patriots. This is the scariest time in our country since the civil war. I’ve heard people say this my whole life, so it is a boy who cried wolf type of statement, but in my 55 years I finally think it true and this is the legacy he has left - I truly worry about the future of our nation for my grandkids.

[@JaelinBezel]

@@remy333 seems appropriate to me.

[@srcastic8764]

@Mike Byrne even if either of those were true, and they’re not, they wouldn’t be treason. But attempting to subvert the election process, more than once, inciting a violent mob to take over the Capitol for the purpose of interfering with the peaceful transition of power, thereby tearing up the Constitution and forcibly keeping him in power, now those are acts of treason. And there’s really no doubt he’s done those things. That an extremely partisan Senate didn’t impeach him is meaningless.

[@srcastic8764]

@Mike Byrne ok. He said to stop them from certifying the election results. To stop Pence. You can try and deny it, try and rationalize all you want. But the reality is both his words and his actions that day and in the weeks and months leading up to that day showed he was doing whatever it took for him to remain in power no matter what. That is basically what you call a coup and that is treason. Worse, his actions and words leading up to that day and since have gotten a large percentage of the country in support of that coup and treason, apparently including you. You cannot support or defend him nor his actions that day and support the Constitution and if you can’t support the Constitution you can’t support America. So I am done taking with you, traitor. The lengths you people will go to defend him no matter what he does is beyond baffling. If Joe Biden or any other democrat did even one single piece of the many acts Trump has done y’all would crucify them. Just think for yourself for just a moment instead of falling for the groupthink of the party line, for once. Just for once, have an honest thought with yourself about it. I said to my wife when he was running as a candidate in 2015 that if he got the nomination he would ruin the Republican Party and if he managed to win he would ruin the nation. I have been right on both accounts. I left the party when he won the nomination because I couldn’t believe the party could fall for such an unqualified conman and I have watched the party turn into a completely intolerant group of extremist bullies with zero ideas except to push lies and conspiracy theories. It has been molded in his image, his corrupt, lying, intolerant, conspiracy loving image and it’s the saddest thing ever for this nation as now we are divided deeper than ever. Have a nice day.

[@thinkingfubuki]

16:40 "Special master" mentioned with "Rule 34" on the screen... My brain went places lol

[@radninjaK]

I just imagine Trump yelling "Declassified" like Michael Scott declaring bankruptcy

[@d-resmin]

I've had that thought as well.

[@dohadeer8242]

I was imaging that scene when they were running around yelling 'Parkour' but freaky to be so close!

[@David-fanboy]

Nice!!

[@veronicabuckley8084]

I DECLARE DECLASSIFICATION!

[@sdot5389]

In his mind, he doesn’t even have to do the verbal declaration. He just has to think it in his mind for it to be in effect.

[@Ben-ry1py]

They requested a special master because one of the high profile lawyers Trump tried to hire, but who turned him down said that's what he would have done if he had taken the case.

[@theosiegstolz3991]

lmao lolol

[@HashSl1ng1ngSlasher]

and because it presumably opens an avenue to make the case accountable to Trump... then all they have to do is bribe or coerce the special master into releasing that nothing obtained is damning, and they can do the same shady shit they've done any time Trump has come under fire, calling the individual's character and validity into question, smearing, attacking, etc.

[@InitialFailure]

So, everyone here liking the comment is totally cool when the FBI raids their home and using the FBI, to filter through their belongings, to justify what the FBI needs to prosecute you? No one here would like a third party to do the filtering to ensure the legality of the search/raid? Ok.

[@michaelcrossley4716]

Haha, so true. I remember hearing that guy say that and a few days later, they sent it to a judge trump picked. Too bad they filled it with the wrong court 🤣

[@smaakjeks]

A lifetime of bilking people out of payments they are due is finally catching up to Donald.

[@aaronpriestley1500]

what bothers me is we are giving away all our secrets and everyone is in a hurry to elect him again because they think he can do no wrong.

[@puki860]

It's cause nobody read the emperor's new clothes

[@SS-xr7jf]

I mean, those people are part of a cult. That sort of insanity comes with the territory, unfortunately.

[@thexalon]

Oh, he wouldn't give them away. I'm sure he'd demand a hefty fee for them.

[@KingBobXVI]

@@thexalon - Pretty sure he already has. Expect news in the next few years about a new Saudi nuclear program.

[@dinho4real]

Rather Trump than a puppet.

[@civil_villain]

I think we're all just fed up with politicians getting away with a lower standard of ethics/actions, while having more legal "courtesies" and a higher quality of life.

[@djangofett4879]

yeah honestly most of Congress belongs in prison

[@civil_villain]

@@djangofett4879 You'll get no argument from me.

[@supertec2023]

I keep hearing the same thing over and over if you're going to blame somebody why don't you put some real names up I can say several of them most of them are Republican party and there may be a couple Democrats as well but I keep saying most of Congress there's some very good people in Congress and I voted for them and there's some horrible people in Congress Taylor green Matt gets Lauren bobert Mitch McConnell Rand Paul Ted Cruz for example I'm voice texting so forgive me for any spelling errors so like I said give us some names maybe agree with the ones I put up maybe you don't

[@txkevin3467]

I think many are also fed up with some politicians being held to different legal standards.

[@eastbow6053]

bidens too

[@mitchellblake1475]

"It's not illegal when you're the president." That is not a presidency then. That is monarchy.

[@Vesperitis]

Or a dictatorship.

[@wierdalien1]

Ehh even a monarch can be held to the law

[@dinncorp2754]

Monarchies require the throne to go from parent to child. It is authoritarian

[@maxi1ification]

And even then... some monarchies can be held accountable

[@jamescox2894]

Are you doing something about it besides farting?

[@--.-.--.-]

just looking at the comments of people who dont understand that their idol can do illegal things is just so funny to watch

[@OrkishEngineering]

Ikr! I've gotten some hillarious replies here.

[@elizabethsohler6516]

Actually it's a tragedy.The number of people who don't understand or worse don't care that this man aspires to be a dictator is horrifying.

[@superk9letsplays419]

​@@elizabethsohler6516 some people have argued that the capital raid was justified and ok

[@PointsofData]

​@elizabethsohler6516 sure but that's par for the course. There will always be people deeply entrenched in their beliefs, regardless of what those beliefs are. It's not worth having an existential crisis over.

[@bobsquirrelking]

I have thought for years that any elected official (President, Senator, House Rep, etc…) should have less right to privacy than the average citizen, not more.

[@christophergreen6595]

Yep. They should pretty much be under oath any time they speak in public.

[@fkujakedmyname]

exactly a public servant should be held to a higher standard

[@OmniMale]

And that's why you aren't and will never be president.

[@KingBobXVI]

@@fkujakedmyname - Including police, our standards shouldn't be so absurdly low for people given that much power.

[@Mackinstyle]

Interesting how filing in a wrong court can get you stuck being ordered to do more lawyer work, which isn't free. Can a lawyer respond with a very quick "mea culpa" response or are they on the hook for explaining all of that while trying not to look bad?

[@hhaavvvvii]

They can file a motion saying they filed their first motion incorrectly and request a dismissal of the case. The judge can also choose to sanction them for it or not.

[@DareToRS]

3:59/5:29 - Only Trump and/or his defenders could turn "I thought I declassified the documents" into "I thought, I declassified the documents."

[@tehanua4383]

He declassified his attorney client privilege on those documents! Lol. Trump is a never ending comedy stream.

[@blasphemertheseventh]

If you use Nixon as a defense, you are most deservedly screwed.

[@krackerkid5]

Should've gone with the Chewbacca defense instead

[@futuza]

@@krackerkid5 Rip off the arms of the judge?

[@oldworldpatriot8920]

@@futuza “why would Chewbacca want to live on Endor with the much smaller Ewoks? It just don’t make sense” -South Park

[@douglascounts4634]

Nixon was never convicted or charged with any crime. He was going to be removed from office and that would have been the end of the matter if he hadn't stepped down as that is the only power that the legislature has over a president. What is happening now is unprecedented. People that hate Trump simply just don't care.

[@thesatelliteslickers907]

My favorite "defense" is that the reason he took and then kept the documents is that he wanted to use the contents of those documents to write and then publish a book. You know what is even worse than taking ts:sci documents and refusing to return them? Distributing ts:sci documents

[@eduardocruz4341]

You mean have a book ghostwritten for him like his The Art of the Deal book, probably doesn't follow an eighth of what was written in it. A true book written by him would be called The Art of Bankruptcy and the Swindle...lol

[@searchingfororion]

Don't we have someone that's in literal exile for publishing not even top secret but just "sensitive" material to the public? They weren't even doing it to make a profit.

[@Grak70]

Probably a lie considering it’s entirely not clear he can even read, much less write.

[@JarretBunney81]

@@eduardocruz4341 The ghostwriter for “The Art of the Deal,” Tony Schwartz, said in 2020 that his biggest regret was writing that book,” and “I have never felt more frightened by Trump and his enablers than I do today. He is completely unmoored from reality, in full gaslighting mode & willing to say anything to survive, even if it kills us.”

[@sarahmellinger3335]

@@searchingfororion may I have the name of the exiled for investivation into the case.

[@jgray2718]

21:40 The letter was not released to help Trump legally because the actual court case is already effectively over if he's ever prosecuted under the Espionage Act. The letter from NARA was released to fight in the court of public opinion, to rile up his base (who will see literally anything that Trump releases as good for him, regardless of content or context), and to implicitly threaten prosecutors with civil unrest if they prosecute. You'd know better than me, but I get the impression that there's literally no legal defense for what Trump has done if he's actually be prosecuted for it, so he's doing everything he can think of to avoid prosecution. Aside from cooperating, of course.

[@EvilDickism]

He cant be prosecuted under that act

[@jesuszamora6949]

Basically, they want a civil war to trigger if the DOJ goes in. Honestly, I say let's go.

[@jamesstuart3346]

Classic Narcissistic Sociopath Defence. I was never at the scene of the crime, and if I was I didn't do anything wrong, and if i did, other people have done worse

[@Kingpin1880]

* idly listening in the background * So... his defence is that he didn't know that he hadn't hired telepaths to read his mind and act on his thoughts... and that he didn't know that you can't set policy and make major decisions via Twitter? I'd say that he and his team have cheese for brains, but that would be an insult to the dairy industry.

[@jonathansandusky7446]

Given what Big Butter did to Margarine ... I think the dairy industry can well be insulted to whatever degree one feels content.

[@slackerman9758]

@@jonathansandusky7446 lol! Big butter. 🤪

[@TheActionBastard]

I still have this sad feeling no one is going to pay for any crime they committed at all. Rich connected people tend to just walk away without consequences far too often for me to have any real hope here.

[@AstralMarmot]

A wise man once said in the darkest times, hope is something we give ourselves

[@FirstNameLastName-okayyoutube]

The problem is people keep believing the main bad guy is who all of the other bad guys say is the bad guy. Good chance Trump is a dork with a big ego who is doing things against those who truly believe they are above consequences. The fact that there was a threat to unseal the warrant and then when Trump said yeah unseal it and they were like no we can't we're not going to, what do you really really think about that behavior really really look at how that body language in your mind looks. The people doing the raid is the bad guy. They shouldn't be afraid to hide things from you they shouldn't be afraid of what popular opinion would be they're not doing it for our protection so who are they protecting? A system that's corrupt?

[@jamesrule1338]

Honestly, same.

[@tylerbowers7026]

@@AstralMarmot Iroh, avatar the last air bender

[@jaredowen6930]

@@Brando23Commando because obviously it not possible for a previous presidentcy to have any affect on the current administration grow up man trump was and is a awful stupid selfish man and the fact that he literally stole documents and your still defending him means you really need to decide what your values really are man

[@max2themax]

So he's basically arguing that he was the ultimate dictator of the US and he can do whatever because the law doesn't apply to him...

[@zac-1]

I feel bad for his lawyers. They won't get paid lmao

[@this_is_patrick]

Trump must be one of those "can I pay you in exposure?" people lol.

[@Sabrowsky]

They can always sue him for it lmao

[@zappelins8942]

Don't feel too bad, at this point they know and choose to stick with him anyways.

[@TKUltra971]

Monopoly Money.

[@MrPuzzles]

Why? They picked a side, they picked a client knowing full well what kind of person he is. They made their bed knowing full well it was full of tacks and nails, and got in it anyway.

[@uinsel]

you can not have it both ways. either it is declassified - then everyone is allowed to see it, it is still not owned by trump . or it is classified, then we AND he is not allowed to read it, still, he is not owning anything.

[@ninavale.]

He declassified it with/in his mind has to be weakest defence I've ever heard...but at this point, I'm not surprised. Like lawyers, like client.

[@futuza]

I'm kinda surprised he hasn't gone all "my lawyers must be sabotaging me, that's why this has been so difficult" and decided to just represent himself in court. Cause if Trump did, oh man would we be in for a trainwreck.

[@emanuelgaldes3515]

In the mind. What a joke.

[@henrygvidonas9573]

Well, his cultists actually believe that Trump was sent by Jesus and has magic powers. I'm sure the Vulcan declassification mind trick makes sense to them. Just like "hydrosonic missiles", "windmill cancer", and his endless blatherings about toilet flushing. These people think they can "scare away" a hurricane that's about to make landfall by firing an AR-15 at it. As Einstein said, two things are infinite: The Universe and human stupidity.

[@notusingmyrealnamegoogle6232]

As Trump famously stated, “I have a very good uhhhhhhhhhh brain”

[@slackerman9758]

Well, he won the election in his mind and he is a “stable genius” in his mind.

[@acehammer6284]

In the movie Dragon Heart, when talking about the Medieval code(which is basically the law), there is a line saying; "Nobody is above the Code, especially not the king." It was such a huge mistake to allow Trump to occupy the White House, a mistake that should and can never be made again.

[@VeryDeathlyShiny]

I'm honestly concerned that if Trump is convicted, his cultists might actually start a civil war over that asshole. Like... I saw 1/6/21, Those people are F'ing insane. Honestly... The best thing that could happen for the country would be for Trump to have a massive stroke. LIke a: in a powered wheelchair, can't talk, eating through a straw, blanket over the knees - stroke. He'd still be around so he wouldn't be a martyr for his followers, but... that head would be removed from the snake.

[@DarkReaper12]

A mistake that, looking at the US's track record, will be made again.

[@TiptonMama]

A dead giveaway, pun intended, was when he said he "could stand in the middle of Fifth Ave and shoot somebody and wouldn't lose any voters, okay."

[@Mcbignuts]

Orange man bad so let's embrace low effort banana republic behaviour, u confuse getting Ur way with "" democracy ""

[@TiptonMama]

@@Mcbignuts Oh look, we found the traitor supporter...

[@WaywardVet]

That redacted affidavit is hilarious. Now while the material taken was NOT declassified, I really want to submit a Freedom of Information Act request for all declassified documents. Either I get them, or I don't. If I don't, which I won't, I can submit that as evidence that they were not declassified.

[@jackroutledge352]

There are reasons for them not to provide you with the documents other than them being classified. For example, they relate to an ongoing criminal investigation (which they obviously do). In any event, the government's position is that they are classified.

[@WaywardVet]

@@jackroutledge352 I know. It would just be funny. But I'd have to pay for the request, and I'm to stingy to pay for a guaranteed rejection even if it was amusing. I'd need John Oliver's HBO budget for that shenanigans.

[@afcgeo882]

@@jackroutledge352 The documents themselves would not be released because they are or may be evidence, but he’s not asking for the exact physical documents that were collected. He’s asking for the information contained in them, and that is not subject to the investigation. Don’t confuse the physical/digital copies with the information they contain.

[@afcgeo882]

@@WaywardVet Yes, that could be used as evidence, but any lawyer will claim simple bureaucratic mistake for your denial.

[@garden0fstone736]

Put your money where your mouth is

[@philinegro]

I’m so glad you exist Legal Eagle. I really appreciate you making this, the effort you’ve put in, and you making the law (and current events with the law) more approachable and tangible is so important for the people! Thank you 🙏🏾

[@Lonewolfmike]

There has to be a paper trail of some sort in declassification. On top of that any document declassified will still have redactions because just because that documentwill have information to other documents that are still classified.

[@cjhostetler6294]

A scary thought or two: sure we've retrieved these documents, but how do we know that this is all of what was taken? Who else may have had access to them before they were retrieved? How do we know that they haven't been tampered/falsified? And who knows WHAT he took in the first place, or why. I'm all for more transparency in government, but clearly some things are classified for a reason - what sort of damage might come from this?

[@remy333]

Same way people on the other side of the issue know the feds haven’t or aren’t going to plant anything…. You don’t.

[@bryanreed742]

"exceptionally grave damage" by definition, since top secret stuff is involved. when I ask myself why he could possibly have wanted the documents in the first place since he would obviously never read them, the next question to come up is: who might he have sold access to them to?

[@jboss119]

Now try to reverse that supporting trump .. It starts as the same argument from him which is also scary for yue same reasons

[@ShorlanTanzo]

Those documents are not the sole copy in existence. Records has existing digital copies that track all of it, including who has requested documents, and its classification status, and any changes made to it. They need to collect these docs because they can't have classified docs floating around at an unsecured location for an indefinite amount of time.

[@chasesymonds4804]

We know because the fbi knew about these documents, told him to put a lock on the door to the room they were in, then went and broke that lock and took them. Kind of an important part of the story. Suddenly caring about this after waving off Clinton, who did not ever have authority to declassify, is ridiculous. This is the same organization who used fraudulent information to spy on his campaign, pushed a fraudulent Russian collusion story, and instructed media companies to bury a story that polls have shown would have swung the election. One can only assume any action taken by them against this man is done in bad faith until proven otherwise without acting in bad faith themselves.

[@WestBloctonDM2]

"His legal arguments are better than Trump's lawyer's". Dude, that's a low bar to set.

[@jamescox2894]

🤔 you seem to know a lot. How long have you studied law?

[@WestBloctonDM2]

@@jamescox2894 If Trump's lawyers are so good, how come they lost more than 61 lawsuits in less than 3 months?

[@chrismanuel9768]

@@jamescox2894 You seem to think you're qualified to question other people. Where did you study journalism? Stop whoring for Trump.

[@krazer9515]

@@jamescox2894 Did you not just watch a 26 minute video, where someone who did in fact "study law" pointed out how bad the Trump Lawyer's arguments have been so far? And included some very basic actions that any lawyer knows should be taken?

[@Kylora2112]

Hey, I went to see Trump's legal team to negotiate my parking tickets, and now I'm facing trial for second degree murder!

[@gouachegirl6115]

As a non- US citizen, I find it disturbing and concerning how little discussion I see in US online media about international consequences this whole affair has for the US. There seems to be little thought not only to how impacts US security and even less on how allies, rivals or even enemies react to this. I can only assume that for example the French are not happy about files on their president and even less if existing ones are not secure…

[@armorclasshero2103]

This comes as no surprise to other world leaders. They all have their own dossiers on everyone else. "Allies" just means a friend of current convenience.

[@946towguy2]

How does outrageous conduct by the FBI doing a pretextual raid of the residence of a former President affect you? Everything the former President had were things he had legal access to and they were all securely stored and protected by the Secret Service. There was an administrative dispute about custody of documents, especially considering that the FBI was apparently improperly accessing documents to which they were not supposed to be privy.

[@armorclasshero2103]

@@946towguy2 the former president is guilty of theft of gov property. those docs don't belong to him. this was decided in the Nixon era.

[@armorclasshero2103]

@@946towguy2 outrageous? you mean completely routine.

[@jhmcd2]

The problem is that, what he has is unknown. So no one knows how it affects our international partners just yet. The hope is not at all, but the reality is probably more than what anyone wants to hear.

[@dannymiller2123]

"just by speaking aloud" I hear Michael Scott walking out in the hallway, gathers his breath, and yells "I... declare.... BANKRUPTCY!!" I just... declared it.

[@MrNidhog]

Honestly this whole thing feels intentional. He has effectively put his name back into the head lines and is playing the victim all while failing to do the bare minimum to corrct the problem. He wriled up his base just in time for the primaries and is making these little mistakes to drag out the issue as long as possible.

[@bryanjackson8917]

BREAKING NEWS: TRANSCRIPT OF TRUMP'S FINAL CALL TO PUTIN FROM WHITE HOUSE SHOWS THAT TRUMP SOLD U.S. CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS TO RUSSIA WASHINGTON, D.C., USA August 27, 2022 ‒ A transcript of former US President Trump's final call to the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, that occurred on January 19, 2021 - which was Trump's last night spent at the White House - was released this afternoon. Parts of that transcript show that Trump sold classified documents belonging to the US government to Russia. It is unknown at this time whether those documents contained any information concerning American nuclear forces, but investigators are now looking into this as it is obviously a matter of utmost urgency. Further details of this breaking news story will be reported on as they become available. In the meantime, following is the closing excerpt of the transcript released today. ... TRUMP: But before I do say goodbye, Vlad, I, ah, I just wanna let you know, I think I got all the secret documents you asked me to get but uh, Vlad, I just wanna make sure - is there, ah, is there anything else you can think of you might need? PUTIN: Oh dah! Almost forgot tell. Make sure grab folder French President Macron. Never know. May soon come time Russia need blackmail him too. You know. Like did you. Help you win USA presidency for life, Trump, for life! But then you blow it badly, Trump, so, so badly. Unbelievable, simply unbelievable. Never have such big disappointment in life as you, Trump! Never! ... But don't worry. Is not problem now. Will be fine. Just get me all secret documents asked for and will be fine. Will be fine. TRUMP: By the way, Vlad, when can I expect to get paid for all these, uh, all these secret documents and uh, you know, this other stuff I'm getting for you? - I don’t know, Vlad, look's to me like some of it's kinda important but ah, I wouldn't really know for sure cuz, uh, I never bothered to read any of it - I mean, who really has time to read stuff like this nowadays, Vlad, who has time, who, huh? Not a busy man, not a busy man like the two of us are, Vlad, a busy man - So anyways, I don't know anything ‘bout it, but look, Vlad, look, what are we gonna do here, Vlad, what are we gonna do? I just wanna know when I'll get paid for it, that's all, I just wanna know when I’ll get paid. PUTIN: Soon. Will be soon. Very soon. But first, need ask you do me one more, um, how you once ask that goofball President Zelenskyy for, um, what was it, for favor, no? But don’t worry. Is small, very, very small. Should not be problem for you, no? Not problem at all. Is just small favor. Like how you say need from Zelenskyy. Only smaller than that, okay? TRUMP: Okay, Vlad, okay. So what is it, huh, Vlad? What is it? I mean, I’ve done everything you asked me to do so far and, uh, well, you see, Vlad, me and Mel, well, we're really busy at the moment, what with the moving out and all - So, uh, Vlad, what more could you possibly want from me now, huh, Vlad? What more? C'mon, Vlad, can you give me a break here? Can't cha ya just give a guy a break?! PUTIN: Calm down. Relax. Okay. Is easy, okay? When Russia invade Ukraine, simply go on TV and tell all world how “brilliant” is invasion. Just say, "how brilliant is that", okay? And then say, "Putin is genius", okay, "Putin is genius", remember say that, okay? Genius. Then, just leave rest to me and friends here Russia. Will take things from there. As American like say, 'easy peasy nice and breezy', no? TRUMP: Got it, Vlad. got it. Okay, sounds easy enough, and, uh, considering all you've done over the years for me and my, ah, family, well, not a problem, Vlad, not a problem. So consider it done, Vlad sir, consider it done! PUTIN: And now, if you will excuse me, mister Trump, I have other important business need attend - I have to go, how you say, rebuild empire - Yes! That’s it - I must go rebuild mighty Russian empire so be mighty once more - I must make great Russian empire great empire again, again! ‒ And so, Herr Drumpf, err, I mean mister Trump, I am afraid I must say to you, dear Trump - the most valuable, most garrulous, most fluent and flatulent asset I have ever had the pleasure of owning - I must say to you, mister Trump, 'do svidaniya'. CALL ENDS

[@Brando23Commando]

He never left headlines bub. You dems dont allow that. You guys cripple the economy from every angle possible and cry wolf for 6 years and act like the country wasn't booming when he was in office. Meanwhile the current administration has crumbled the economy from every angle possible, you know, the "not a recession " recession. Remember being able to afford to live with trump in office. Those were the days. Now the vast majority had to struggle because the failures of the current administration. But go on with your smoke and mirrors.

[@jonathanCRoberts]

2:07 Declassifying documents does not require their release to the public, it just lowers the restrictions of access and the way the materials must be handled. There's plenty of proprietary information that is unclassified. Now, that doesn't mean he didn't skip a lot of steps in declassification.

[@accountid9681]

your videos give me hope for the American legal system in a time where increasingly partisan courts are slowly corrupting our democracy. I never thought I would be so happy to hear about bureaucracy.

[@lentlemenproductions770]

Literally my only source of faith in the us government recently.

[@uselesscause3178]

strange times. strange times indeed.

[@Strider91]

People forget that a good Bureaucracy is the best defense agianst corruption. What us written down, is eternal

[@jacob5169]

Bureaucracy is the antithesis to Dictatorship. The more people required to be involved with any decision, the less power any one possesses.

[@accountid9681]

@@jacob5169 well said

[@TeargasHorse]

It's amazing how a person who did so many bads while in office could still be doing so many bads when not in office yet he still acts like he is in office and/or will be again. Sheesh!

[@Maladjester]

"acts like he will be in office again" Trump *will* get the Presidency back in 2024 if he isn't behind bars and/or the left can't get its shit together. Disclaimer, I don't want that to happen, it's just the most likely outcome at current time according to my personal ill-informed guess.

[@caroline10081]

It's amazing the crowd who brayed "lock her up!" over emails are quiet about this huge breach in security. It's amazing the crowd who swears "something is fishy" about Burisma is ignoring the fact that all Trump lawyers are shady, stupid, and ignorant.

[@Tikimohn]

Sadly, he very well win again.

[@timboslice7982]

he will be elected again. Senile poopypants Biden doesnt stand a chance against him.

[@timboslice7982]

@Mike Byrne u wonder why? Really? The Biden term has been a disaster. Inflation, high gas prices, stock market crash, recession, the Afghanistan withdrawal. Biden has done more damage to the country than the last 10 presidents combined. And u dont understand why. STOP WATCHING MSNBC

[@combustablelemon14]

I wish I could contribute to the discussion but you brought up rule 34 (16:50) in the same sentence as the ex president and I had to hit the emergency stop on my brain

[@thomasheerjr9268]

As a former holder of a TS/SCI clearance, I can speak with knowledge in this. It doesn't matter one bit what someone says including the president. You follow whatever the document is marked. If it says TS, it's treated as TS, period.

[@anniemccowan9902]

Except when the ex-'president' walks out of the White House with said documents in a box and takes them to his private residence and does god only knows what with them before he's found out.

[@minitaur8693]

I really want to hear what Legal Eagle says about Trump being allowed a special master and how the judge basically said Trump has more power than the incumbent president.

[@sdmurphy20]

Well the request for a special master backfired

[@Spacey_key]

"If president does it then it's not illegal" By that logic you can defraud the whole federal budget because it's not illegal for you

[@joshuataylor3550]

How about murdering political rivals? Seems legit

[@Spacey_key]

@Meditative Hypnosen - Dr. Seitz yes

[@scruffy-thejanitor]

Now you're getting it

[@julietfischer5056]

I've made this comment elsewhere: when you're caught doing something wrong, pick a story and stick to it. Shut down all others. Throwing up a dozen different defenses is as good as an admission of guilt. Obviously, this applies for being caught doing the wrong thing, with evidence of the wrong thing _right there_ for all to see. If you're merely suspected, then you better think hard which is worse: what you're suspected of, or what you actually did before making things worse with lying.

[@pamelacass9642]

Your children must LOVE you. Teachers, ministers, babysitters, police, doctors...not so much.

[@Delightfully_Bitchy]

I doubt their children like having a parent who knows all the tricks.

[@FirstNameLastName-okayyoutube]

What was the wrong doing? That has to be present in order for your wisdom to apply. Obama was in trouble for the same thing because he wanted to publish the very legal yet still formally classified documents that he took home with him after his presidential terms. He conceited and didn't publish them but have you considered how that compares to this situation? Or are you just presuming wrongdoing because of the undertones and implications but not empirical facts. It's a good chance you would not recognize an empirical fact because they're hard to spot..I struggled with them when I was tested for it, yet evidence of wrongdoing is still not existent currently

[@FirstNameLastName-okayyoutube]

But let's look at more pictures of Nixon and try to think that we can understand how things correlate! That's convincing evidence. Meanwhile this lawyer who makes money off of interpretation, I mean if we don't think like him then obviously we're wrong.

[@julietfischer5056]

@@FirstNameLastName-okayyoutube- Obama followed the rules. Those documents were properly declassified and are being digitized. The National Archives still control them. Your hero was asked to return the documents he took, and refused. They were confiscated after due process.

[@Athelas-Corais]

The fact you said all of this without busting out laughing shows how impressive of a layer you are

[@johnschmalbach8243]

What boggled my mind was the release of the letter from NARA. It reminded me of the idiot who felt releasing the video of chasing and killing Ahmaud Arbret would clear them of murder instead of convict them.

[@donkrapf]

I think the letter was aimed directly at his base in an attempt to bolster the claim that he was cooperating so there was no need for the search. If the search wasn't needed then it must have been political.

[@johnschmalbach8243]

@@donkrapf oh I am sure it was but a lot of these statements and releases by his camp are things that, if it went to trial, would be obtained during Discovery and could be subject to Suppression etc. Putting it into the public arena. Better example of this is Trump mentioning executive privilege. In doing so in the context he did he's admitting that the documents would be considered government property under the Presidential Records Act. So he in short admit to having documents he should not have and of obstruction in the same sentence. Now normally if asked those questions he would be able to claim fifth amendment protection, now he can't because he made the statement in public.

[@peterbrazukas7771]

His lawyers didn't think of a Special Master until a legal expert on the morning news shows mentioned it lol

[@billeethesciencegeek]

Man, I never thought I would see rule 34 on this channel, or that it would be so dry. Well played, Mr. Eagle.

[@RyanPurcell]

"I declare bankruptcy!!" comes to mind on Trump's understanding of declassified documents.

[@AB-jd5rz]

I think of this scene every time Trump says he declassified everything, I'm a little shocked the clip wasn't in the video.

[@brcarter1111]

If these documents were truly declassified, they would have been available to students, academia, journalists, or anyone else for that matter, not just him. The fact he is the only one who has seen them and they are still inaccessable clearly shows he is lying.

[@ypw510]

There are likely multiple copies. However, with a lot of the classified documents, any paper copies will be carefully numbered and logged. And unless they're declassified they aren't going to be available for FOIA request as you hinted. However, there are some documents that can't be released even if declassified.

[@jenniferhanses7064]

Off topic: Have you considered watching/reviewing Extraordinary Attorney Woo? I found it pretty interesting because it's a very different legal framework. It also lead me to think about between that (based in Korea), and stuff I've been watching about UK law, that the US seems to be fairly unique in the world due to the Bill of Rights and the other Amendments to the Constitution. These largely seem to lay out basic principles considered appropriate to maintaining good government, and while there can be disagreement in interpretation to one degree or another, these laws cannot be easily overwritten each time a new president/legislature takes office as seems to happen in the UK, meanwhile they're more generalized building blocks than Korea law which seems to be built on old customs, rather than unified principles. Anyway, just thought you might find the show and that thought interesting.

[@fables4564]

“Rules don’t apply to me because I’m in power” is how dictators are formed.

[@nameunknown007]

I can just listen to you provide information all day, you are so eloquent!

[@Rainkit]

I've started working in pharmaceuticals and the idea of someone saying something and not doing the paperwork to have that thing inacted drives me absolutely nuts. That's never how this works. There is no way we could verify that he isn't just lying. That would be like me saying "Oh I totally made sure there wasn't ricin in the aspirin. There are no test results that confirm that but you can take my word that the aspirin is fine and certainly not poisonous."

[@jamesharrison9856]

Having worked with Classified documents in the military, there is a point being “missed” in this debate. These Classified documents were stored, but more importantly accounted for by a “serial number” by a documents custodian somewhere-I’m presuming in Washington. Those which are marked with special handling instructions require extra accountability. When Donald “Declassified” them, he had a duty to notify the not only the Department which classified them e.g. DOD, NSA etc, but as importantly the document custodian who lost accountability when Donald took them to Mar Lago. If you think NARA was upset at his failures to turn in his Official Records,, imagine the Classified Documents custodian who “lost” these documents. Donald assumed authority which he did not have and as we used to say, “That’s go to jail stuff”.

[@timboslice7982]

the democrats would love to put him in prison for no reason. The documents were declassified. Its documented but leftisteagle is ignoring this.

[@946towguy2]

The President gives orders. He does not answer to subordinates. When The President takes a document from a subordinate custodian, he becomes the custodian with absolute authority to declassify. I know it can be inconvenient when the boss doesn't communicate well with subordinates, but that is their problem to deal with.

[@rsmith02]

@@946towguy2 The President is not above the law and must follow procedures (or establish new ones).

[@946towguy2]

@@rsmith02 Let me educate you a little bit: The Supremacy Clause of the Constitution (Art 6, Para 2) declares that the Constitution to be the Supreme law of the land, above acts of congress or laws and constitutions of the states. The executive power is vested in a President of the United States. (Art 2, Sec 1, Cl 1) Therefore, the executive authority of the President IS above the laws of Congress. The President creates policy within the executive branch and does not take orders or follow the procedures of subordinates. The President has plenary authority to declassify records, such as a standing order that any documents brought to his residence are automatically declassified. The President has the authority to take with him, personal or privileged documents, and his personal notes are his own. (Clinton presidential records ruling) The Presidential records act is intended to protect the former President, not punish him.

[@chojay13]

The tweet declassification thing reminds me of when people copy/paste "Facebook is changing their privacy policies! Copy and paste this in your profile to keep your data safe!" That's not how that works. At all.

[@goodcorwin627]

I must say, I am not one bit surprised that the first reaction of Trump's lawyers is to invoke Rule 34.

[@SchoolforHackers]

It’s the one they’re familiar with.

[@red2theelectricboogaloo961]

@@SchoolforHackers keystrokes keystrokes

[@JustmeIguess]

I was waiting for someone to talk about this

[@danieljob3184]

It saddens me that DJT45 is not alone with confusing POTUS with Emperor/Pope/God-king.

[@Roguefem76]

I've been waiting to see Devin take apart all these legal shenanigans Trump world has been inflicting on the courts lately! Love the purple tie btw!

[@Woozlewuzzleable]

It's nice hearing that facts and common sense still exists.

[@TheSorrel]

His name is Devin? Well, there's gotta be SOMETHING unattractive about this guy

[@willf5282]

Could be overthinking, but the purple tie makes me wonder if he is trying to show he is in "The Middle" of the heated political debate, and doesn't want any bias towards republican or democrat politics (Red or Blue). Edit: Legal Eagle is awesome.

[@lotanerve]

@@willf5282 Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

[@InitialFailure]

Did you get what you expected when within 30 sec of the video he shows that he has no understanding of the POTUS having unilateral authority to declassify material? I know I was stoked.

[@DexterBelgium]

Please, please, please do a follow up on the fact that the horribly written motion for a special master was actually granted. I'd really like a calm analysis how the DoJ can move on now.

[@Jibsie]

I'm not ok with a "special master" being named in Rule 34 of all things.

[@TheBlingting]

The association of Rule 34 and Donald Trump made me very unhappy indeed.

[@ResidentKlinton]

I giggled so hard

[@torbk]

He says rule 53, and it says 34, I wonder which is correct?

[@acire2378]

Thank you for discussing this! Trump's cult is intentionally confusing the situation by throwing around all this legalese. Your video is easy to understand and lays the facts down as they are.

[@nathanmorgan3647]

We don't have any GD facts. The FBI hasn't released any information.

[@arthurfonzarelli9331]

That is the opposite of what is happening.

[@acire2378]

@@arthurfonzarelli9331 how so?

[@arthurfonzarelli9331]

@@acire2378 Those on the left are completely misrepresenting the President's relationship with classified material. They are leading people to believe that the President has to check with some bureaucrat before declassifying a document, that is simply not true. How do you think diplomacy and military strategy are conducted? They are omitting that all ex President's have secure facilities in their residences to store and view classified materials, it's one of the reasons that ex Presidents get Secret Service protection. And they are leading people to believe that the documents Trump has are somehow detrimental to national security. I don't see how anyone can believe that technical nuclear weapons materials or the names of spies are just written on a piece of paper for all to see.

[@JerkWarlord]

"Nixon and Trump shared a theory of the unitary executive that placed no limits on the president's power." I think you're giving Trump a little too much credit there, Chief. I'd be hard-pressed to believe Trump does any kind of "theorizing." Buddy just acts. Goddamn force of nature.

[@darnellwilliams7564]

Should have locked him up as soon as he took the material of the property.

[@Quotenwagnerianer]

The way I see it this has been going on in Trump's life for years. He basically only keeps Lawyers that give him legal advice he likes to hear and not the ones that actually interpret the laws how they are commonly interpreted. A common problem with narcisists, I gather. One sees similar behaviour in the Amber Heard case.

[@Ericwvb2]

He's the nightmare client from hell: he doesn't follow advice, he lies to his lawyers, he lies about what his lawyers told him, lawyers who work for him have a tendency to be disbarred and/or criminally investigated and on top of all that he's notorious for not paying his lawyers. No wonder he's down to hiring D-list ambulance chasers.

[@evamartinez89]

What is AMZ55X?

[@Golems_victory]

Ur mom,....jk lol idk either bud

[@AbsoluteKhan.]

They should release a picture of how the documents were stored! I would love to see how "secure" they were.

[@jamesd6952]

I believe the FBI wants to review the security camera footage at Mara Lago to determine if people without clearances, including citizen Trump, were reading or had access to the documents. If that is the case more charges of mishandling classified documents can be levied against Trump for not securing the documents and storing them properly.

[@AbsoluteKhan.]

@@jamesd6952 it's gonna be fun to see...

[@abigails4088]

reminder... for the last 7 months you could have stolen nuclear secrets *WITH A CROWBAR* ...the scary part? For the ENTIRE year prior... YOU DIDN'T EVEN NEED THE CROWBAR

[@TF2CrunchyFrog]

Yup, Trump's claim he simply had to take those classific Top Secret documents to keep them "safe" because they would be more secure in a storeroom in his golf club than in a secure facility specifically built to house classified documents of national security importance.... if a satirist wrote that in a novel everyone would call it too silly. Of course some of Trump's sycophants at Faux News also claimed those 50+ boxes of files just accidentally fell into Trump's pockets when he became an ex-President and had to hastily pack his things (as if Trump would ever pack his own stuff or carry his own suitcases) because he had expected to get a second term.

[@JaelinBezel]

Probably just sitting in a desk drawer

[@juandavidcondeduarte3871]

90% of comments are now AMZ55X

[@laparis27th77]

Looking forward to your opinion on the granting of that special master by the trump appointed jufge and her haulting of the DOJ's obstruction investigation.

[@remyschrader9286]

When your lawyer is unironically named Jim Trusty.. Can't wait until Robbie Guarantee and Kim IAssureYou join the team

[@MeinGottHatDenLangsten]

All because Dewey, Cheatem and Howe never got paid for the Trump University thing 😃

[@BeeKind22]

Imagine having to defend the indefensible then realising they have to get their own lawyer to defend them, X45 seems to be one client lawyers need to stay clear of. Regardless of the pathetic excuses he was in possession of shit that he had no right to.

[@aaronmccullers384]

Worst yet, imagine doing all of that and then the client refuses to pay you, that is the position every lawyer finds themselves in when working with this loser.

[@aikanae1]

Trump's lawyers tend to end up in jail or under investigation themselves.

[@megrud]

"X45 seems to be a client lawyers need to steer clear of" You're watching a lawyer channel, yet you say something so unconstitutional. Like I agree Trump is an idiot, but what you just said is kinda how he got elected

[@CheshireCad]

@@megrud - What? How is that at all unconstitutional? Private lawyers have no obligation whatsoever to take anyone on as a client. The only exception is a public defender, who will be obligated to try and defend Trump if he so requests one. And their job is mostly to process the legal red tape so that impoverished defendants aren't completely screwed by the legal process. The extent of his advice in this case would be "You have literally no chance of winning. Plead guilty, and take whatever plea deals they give you. I'll file the paperwork." That, and "Trump Forced To Use Public Defender" would be one more hilarious anecdote in this over-long saga.

[@megrud]

@@CheshireCad What? The person I'm replying to didn't state private or public so Idk what your point is on distinguishing the two. They clearly are saying, "Nobody should represent him"

[@arcynz]

whether the documents are classified, declassified, either way that is NOT a defense as the laws cited in the search warrant require defense information, the classification is irrelevant Trump, his lawyers and supporters don't understand the law

[@wayneresper7761]

Legal Eagle basically said, "if you are going to lie like a lawyer at least don't be sloppy about it". These lawyers were sloppier than their client.

[@TheBlueB0mber]

Sounds like we may see the classic "Judge Dread Defense" employed here: *I am the Law* 👨‍⚖

[@VeteranVandal]

Dredd*

[@martincann5052]

Which is alarming since Judge Dredd is a satirical work with a protagonist who, in any other work, would be the antagonist.

[@Swtorjunkie]

Thank you for making these videos. I like how you explain

[@theomegajuice8660]

It's a very bold move for Trump defenders to say "The President can do whatever they want and it's never illegal" whilst Biden is the President. The Dark Biden memes might become a tad more literal if they get their way!

[@Leeleet1234]

*Dark Brandon*

[@nonprogrediestregredi1711]

If the supposed defense has the word "privilege" tied to it, it's a near certainty that Trump will try to claim it. After all, privilege is all he's ever known.

[@zacorycoward2658]

Damn you got the whole squad laughing 😐

[@willcurtis7066]

@@zacorycoward2658 Eh, at least it was original

[@zacorycoward2658]

@@willcurtis7066 LMAO, no, no it literally is not Edit: before y'all try it , no I'm not a trump supporter I've voted against him both times now. I simply hate poor comedy

[@willcurtis7066]

@@zacorycoward2658 So wait. Him telling his unoriginal joke was bad but yours was OK?

[@zacorycoward2658]

@@willcurtis7066 no I'm educating them about their lack of humor. Your mom liked my joke though. Now there was an unfunny, unoriginal joke. See the difference?