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Simple question, should either a republican or democratic president have the authority to pardon himself and if he attempts it what should be the consequences?
Yes the president should be able to pardon themselves with zero consequences
No. No one is above the law and any attempt to circumvent should result in the president's immediate removal from office
Other - explain
I don't think the president should be able to pardon anyone, and I believed this when Obama was president. This is a holdover of the ability of the monarch to pardon a subject, and we need to get rid of it.
I agree. Pardoning to me is a way of saying, "our system is broken so we need this autocratic tool to get around it once in awhile".
Hey, folks! How about just fixing the broken system? Isn't that a better idea?
I don't think the president should be able to pardon anyone, and I believed this when Obama was president. This is a holdover of the ability of the monarch to pardon a subject, and we need to get rid of it.
Simple question, should either a republican or democratic president have the authority to pardon himself and if he attempts it what should be the consequences?
Yes the president should be able to pardon themselves with zero consequences
No. No one is above the law and any attempt to circumvent should result in the president's immediate removal from office
Other - explain
First off thank you for including the poll options in the OP, for those of us using Tapatalk and can't see actual polls.Simple question, should either a republican or democratic president have the authority to pardon himself and if he attempts it what should be the consequences?
Yes the president should be able to pardon themselves with zero consequences
No. No one is above the law and any attempt to circumvent should result in the president's immediate removal from office
Other - explain
No system is perfect, and we need a way to correct mistakes. Additionally, if we have a societal shift, such as is happening with the use of marijuana, then we now have a tool to reflect that for those convicted under the previous laws.I agree. Pardoning to me is a way of saying, "our system is broken so we need this autocratic tool to get around it once in awhile".
Hey, folks! How about just fixing the broken system? Isn't that a better idea?
First off thank you for including the poll options in the OP, for those of us using Tapatalk and can't see actual polls.
So just to be clear, the President would be pardoning him or herself for crimes done before becoming president for which they would have some sort of lasting punishment, say maybe probation, that is still with them during their presidency?
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Simple question, should either a republican or democratic president have the authority to pardon himself and if he attempts it what should be the consequences?
Yes the president should be able to pardon themselves with zero consequences
No. No one is above the law and any attempt to circumvent should result in the president's immediate removal from office
Other - explain
I am trying to lock down how they would do it. If their punishment is no longer in effect then there is nothing to pardon. They certainly can't do it for anything for while they're president. Until an actual guilty verdict is handed down, there I nothing to pardon. If they are found guilty they immediately loose the status as president and thus cannot issue the pardon.Should the president of the United States be able to use their constitutionally granted pardon authority to pardon themself for any crime committed at any time in their life with zero consequences.
No system is perfect, and we need a way to correct mistakes. Additionally, if we have a societal shift, such as is happening with the use of marijuana, then we now have a tool to reflect that for those convicted under the previous laws.
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I don't think the President can pardon himself and should not have the power to do so. The power to deal with a President acting unlawfully is constitutionally given only to our elected representatives in Congress to do or to the people at the ballot box should the President run for re-election.
I do support the Presidential pardon, however, most especially in today's polarized and hateful and vindictive political environment. Those targeted by the opposition for political purposes for litigation when, if they were not supportive of the President or a political party would never have been targeted, should of course not suffer unfair consequences for their political beliefs. The risk we take allowing a President such power is that he will use it to benefit friends and cronies who should suffer consequences for bad deeds, and we have seen that happen. But it is a small risk.
On the one hand that is an idea. However, given that some sentences are terminal I would still like a method that is not going to be bogged down in red tape.So how about a way to correct mistakes by incorporating democracy into the process? If POTUS wants to pardon someone, have their request for pardon go before some type of judicial panel, have this panel publish thief findings/decision on a website for all to read? Something like that?
I don't think the president should be able to pardon anyone, and I believed this when Obama was president. This is a holdover of the ability of the monarch to pardon a subject, and we need to get rid of it.
I am trying to lock down how they would do it. If their punishment is no longer in effect then there is nothing to pardon. They certainly can't do it for anything for while they're president. Until an actual guilty verdict is handed down, there I nothing to pardon. If they are found guilty they immediately loose the status as president and thus cannot issue the pardon.
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What should happen to any president that tries to pardon themself, in your opinion?
No, but I voted "other" because of the addendum to the no answer to "remove him from office."
Presidents try to do things that aren't supposed to all the time.
If we removed every President who did we'd have removed every President.
Anyone who answers yes to this is taking the official position that the President is above the law. And if you believe that then your believe in fascism over Democracy, pure and simple.
On the one hand that is an idea. However, given that some sentences are terminal I would still like a method that is not going to be bogged down in red tape.
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It's a check on judiciary - the only check on the judiciary post conviction - and as such is necessary given separation of powers. It's also a way for the people, through the president, to offer forgiveness to someone who was legitimately convicted.
I don't think so. The Constitution is quite explicit in that any president has the power of the pardon with the exception in the cases of impeachment. Whether or not any president can pardon himself would be left up to the SCOTUS to rule on it. The Constitution is mum on that point. Regardless whether he can or can't, depending on how the SCOTUS would rule, his pardon wouldn't stop the impeachment process. At worst, a president who pardons himself still could be removed from office. Perhaps he then couldn't stand trail in a civil court for his crimes, but he would be removed.
You can get the exact wording in Article II Section 2 of the constitution. The fact is until the SCOTUS rules on a self pardon, no one knows for sure. What we do know for sure is a self pardon wouldn't stop impeachment proceedings and a guilty vote by 2/3rds of the senate would remove any president from office.
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