Octopus Overlords

When do you think Trump will go for the Self-Pardon? Or do you think he won't go for it?

My guess is the 19th, so as to cover as many felonies as possible.

I selected never, but it will be accidental. He'll intend to do it before the clock runs out, but between his innate laziness, incompetence, incontinence and lack of attention to detail, it'll slip until it's too late. His toadies will be too busy getting their own pardons lined up to remind him to do his own. Nonetheless, he'll tweet out that he did do it, and 70 million terminally gaslit Americans will believe that he is pardoned and that the Deep State shredded the paperwork in one last act of betrayal.

Jaymann wrote: ↑Wed Jan 06, 2021 2:29 pm My guess is the 19th, so as to cover as many felonies as possible.

Agree.

I think he does it soon, so he knows if it 'sticks'... else he needs to high tail it.

I think his present thinking is he doesn't need it since he didn't lose. Once it is clear he is being robbed in his mind he will do it last minute. As to the practicality of that outcome, theoretically there is no official mechanism. He can write it on a piece of paper or say it in camera.

Not sure, but it will be the day after Ivanka, Jared, Trump Jr., and (maybe) Eric.

For the pruposes of this poll, I'll go with Sunday.

New prediction; Ivanka & company will be pardoned the day after the fucker (who I will not name) that killed people in Kenosha with an illegal rifle.
Also, I think Sunday is too late. Trump will do it tomorrow before he is removed from office.

I picked the 19th, I might need to change that if Impeachment is put on the table (It should but I'm not confident it will) that goes up to day of impeachment filing.

Archinerd wrote: ↑Wed Jan 06, 2021 6:24 pmNew prediction; Ivanka & company will be pardoned the day after the fucker (who I will not name) that killed people in Kenosha with an illegal rifle.

Can't pardon Rittenhouse. He's being charged by the state of Wisconsin, not the Feds.

I mean, he has nothing to lose by trying it. I picked last minute, but if there is any legitimate rumbling in the coming hours/next few days that impeachment or the 25th might happen, he'll do it immediately.

Jaymann wrote: ↑Wed Jan 06, 2021 2:29 pm My guess is the 19th, so as to cover as many felonies as possible.

Can he only do one pardon?

If he's not completely delusional, he has to realize that he's in at least some danger of being removed early. If so, it'll happen as soon as he can get his hands on a piece of paper.

I picked Friday 1/15 for the sake of tradition (that is, the tradition of doing guilty things on Friday after the major news orgs have shut down for the weekend).

Trump gives up a hint!

This will be pretty weird.
Trump will most certainly declare that he needs to Pardon himself in order to protect himself from the crooked government that he expects to honor his self pardon.

I had picked the 19th, so he can just fly down to Mar a Lago and ignore the hullabaloo. But now I'm wondering whether given the 25th amendment talk he might want to do it earlier - the nightmare scenario for him is the 25th gets sprung on him suddenly before he has pardoned himself, and then he's not president during the final days of his term, losing the ability to issue the pardons.

Talk indicates that the 25th is unlikely at this point, but I'm not sure if I would want to count on that. So I'd have the paperwork drawn up if I were him. I think the 15th is growing as a possibility, and I wouldn't entirely rule out the 8th (though that might marginally increase the impeachment odds).

I think we should assume that he has already written the pardons and not announced them.

He can always update them as new crimes occur or new bribes roll in.

Is there a way to include wording like "and all other related and unrelated crimes that may be uncovered" like when you're hired for a job and they always slide in "all other job duties as assigned" ... ?

I keep reading this thread title as "Self Pardon Pricks" which, frankly, also works.

Paingod wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 12:34 pm Is there a way to include wording like "and all other related and unrelated crimes that may be uncovered" like when you're hired for a job and they always slide in "all other job duties as assigned" ... ?

Ford gave Nixon "a full and unconditional pardon for any crimes that he might have committed against the United States as president." trump could use that same language.

Kraken wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 12:39 pm

Paingod wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 12:34 pm Is there a way to include wording like "and all other related and unrelated crimes that may be uncovered" like when you're hired for a job and they always slide in "all other job duties as assigned" ... ?

Ford gave Nixon "a full and unconditional pardon for any crimes that he might have committed against the United States as president." trump could use that same language.

Has anything like that ever been tested in court? It just seems so mushy.

Of course the 1970s were a mushy time.

Holman wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 4:51 pm

Kraken wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 12:39 pm

Paingod wrote: ↑Fri Jan 08, 2021 12:34 pm Is there a way to include wording like "and all other related and unrelated crimes that may be uncovered" like when you're hired for a job and they always slide in "all other job duties as assigned" ... ?

Ford gave Nixon "a full and unconditional pardon for any crimes that he might have committed against the United States as president." trump could use that same language.

Has anything like that ever been tested in court? It just seems so mushy.

Of course the 1970s were a mushy time.

It was never tested but many scholars have said they believe it'd hold up.

All bets are off. With no twitter access, we may not actually know when he announces it.