'Like client, like lawyers': Internet slams Donald Trump's lawyer for suggesting a president can murder political rivals without being prosecuted

WASHINGTON, DC: Former President Donald Trump’s legal team argued on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, that the president would not face legal action unless he was impeached and proven guilty even if he was accused of directing SEAL Team Six to kill a political opponent.

Trump's attorney D John Sauer informed Judges Michelle Childs, Florence Pan, and Karen Henderson during arguments in the DC Circuit Court of Appeals that the GOP frontrunner is exempt from prosecution under the US Constitution's impeachment and double jeopardy clauses.

Sauer supported his arguments, citing the Senate’s 2021 acquittal of the ex-president on charges that he incited the January 6 attack on the Capitol.

After Sauer's argument, Judge Pan—President Joe Biden's 2022 nominee to the circuit court—asked him if, hypothetically, a president could be immune from any legal consequences after ordering the killing of a rival by the US military or selling pardons.

“I understand your position to be that a president is immune from criminal prosecution for any official act that he takes as president even if that action is taken for an unlawful or unconstitutional purpose, is that correct?” she said, according to Independent.

In response, he clarified that prosecution would only be permitted if the Senate found someone guilty.

After Sauer's rambling response, she interrupted to restate the question, saying, “I asked you a yes or no question. Could a president who ordered SEAL Team 6 to assassinate a political rival ... would he be subject to criminal prosecution?”

“Qualified yes – if he is impeached and convicted first.” Sauer replied, adding that in his view, such a president would “have to be, and would speedily be, you know, impeached and convicted before the criminal prosecution.”

'That’s not a frightening future. That’s our republic'

Further during the hearing, James Pearce, the Assistant Special Counsel who argued the case for the US government, asked, "What kind of world are we living in?" if a president could use the state to assassinate a political adversary and not face serious consequences.

He also warned that the broad presidential immunity Sauer was proposing would place a commander-in-chief "above the law" and that it would be a "frightening future" if a president could not be held accountable for crimes.

“He is not above the law,” Pearce continued, adding, “A former president enjoys no immunity from criminal prosecution.”

Sauer then fired back at Pearce’s claims and said, “The frightening future [Pearce] alleges where presidents are very very seldom, if ever, prosecuted because they have to be impeached and convicted first is the one we have lived under for the last 235 years. That’s not a frightening future. That’s our republic.”

Internet reacts to Sauer’s arguments

Sauer’s arguments have garnered immense social media attention, with one user saying, “This is what happens when you let Donald Trump, who couldn't pass a high school civics exam, plot your legal strategy—you end up making asinine arguments.”

“So basically, a President can do whatever they want; if they hold the chambers and are never impeached,” the second user questioned.

“If they rule in Trump’s favor I can imagine a hilarious outcome,” the third user stated.

“OMG! Like clients like lawyers? Where does he pick them up? In a public dump?” the fourth user said. 

One wrote, “This idiot was so irritating to listen to, had to turn him off.”

“This Court is probably not going to appreciate the procedural cleverness that Trump's attorney played with this group of judges,” one more asserted.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.