I thought he might commute any sentence on his last day in office as an act of clemency but am surprised he went this far and this early. There's nothing new about pardons in the dying days of a presidency however. They've all done it. Just wait for the furore when Trump pardons himself!
Yes, I believe the power to pardon was always available to the POTUS. But I don't think it's being used in the way it was intended. It now appears to be a blank cheque for a President to pardon anyone he wants (including himself!) without any petition or reason. In effect, a anyone close to the POTUS can literally ignore federal law and get away with if the POTUS feels like it. I suppose it started with Ford granting Nixon a pardon but it's gone too far now imho and I'm shocked that the citizens of the US are not more angry about it.
It's been there since the start. It's one of the oldest powers of the head of state in most countries and their founders were inspired to include it in their constitution by the royal prerogative of mercy which the British monarch had (and still has). I wouldn't be surprised if it's always been used in dubious ways. But it's also an important power, as sometimes there can be unforeseen effects from the application of the law which can only really be resolved in this way. I'd actually argue Hunter Biden's case was such a case, as he definitely wouldn't have been prosecuted if he wasn't who he was, but then so were some of Donald Trump's too. That's why I said Biden should have pardoned Trump in 2021.
Wow! A picture is worth a thousand words! The old man is fading into the background while the world's richest man is eyeing up some (dystopian?) future.
Trump has named his "Ambassadors to Hollywood". Including notorious anti-semite Mel Gibson who once asked Wynona Ryder "You're not an oven-dodger are you? Well done America, you ******* idiots.
I've managed to avoid seeing or hearing a single second of the orange one's big day so far. When will it be safe to put the telly or the wireless back on?
Radio is on in the kitchen - I've popped in twice in the last twenty minutes and it's the same vocabulary challenged nonsense (like nobody has ever seen before). He's a boring ****, ain't he?
John Voight ran a pretty tight ship during his last political appointment in Enemy of the State. That loudmouth Will Smith won’t be sleeping easy this evening.
I don't think I've laughed so much for a long time now. At what he says and the reactions to it. Epic.
I know what you mean but I'm forcing myself to and trying to be positive. It is like a massive social experiment. I believe that many of Trump's policies are economically and morally wrong. Many will have buyers remorse (especially the poor that voted for him). I don't think I will ever be persuaded that he is right on the moral issues but I'm open to the idea that his economic policies could work (for America at least) and I'm wrong in thinking they will be a global disaster. Perhaps his tariffs will force concessions from his neighbours as well as other trading partners. May be US companies will have to look to investing in the US rather than abroad to avoid the tariffs. May be his spending and tax cuts (although those stray into moral issues) could create an environment of massive growth. Ultimate I think it will be a terrible 4 years for minorities and the poor in America whatever happens but I really really hope I'm wrong.
The same man just did multiple fascist salutes. But claimed they weren't. So the maga supporters are claiming instead the unelected man so close to the president he will have an office in the white house is so ignorant and dumb he doesn't have the basics common sense that when at a political event, being accused of being a fascist and extreme ring wing you should be extra careful to never do something that looks exactly like the nazi salute. So far in my life, I've never accidentally seig heiled, especially on stage. What about you guys?
I once dislocated my shoulder and as a result my arm was stuck in a Heil Hitler stiff arm salute position. I felt very awkward about it as I waited in casualty
Oh but it was the Bellamy Salute, which is a pledge of allegiance to the United States the MAGA crowd definitely knew all about 24 hours ago. Or the footage was sped up. Or it was edited. Or the still image is misrepresentative. Or he was just exuberant and has Aspergers. Or here's some photos of other politicians holding their arms in the air. Remarkable what gets a free pass now.
jesus you lefties twist everything don’t you. The man that has visited Israel. The man that wore a dog collar with bring them home. Watch the full video. Clumsy, yes. Sieg heil, no on a separate note notice Bidens last act was to pardon almost his entire family. the time is up for the liberal left wing
Those are still images. Not videos of repeated motions. Being pro Isreal doesn't mean you can't be a fascist This is a fascist salute. Mussolini and Hitler were facists. Hitler and the Nazis were fascists, being anti semites was not the exclusive defining feature of 1930s Nazism and it's not the exclusive defining feature of modern facism.
Musk does seem ever so slightly bonkers but he's not a simpleton so I really don't think he'd accidentally let slip that he's Hitler Mark 2 at the ceremony to mark the swearing in of the new leader of the free world.
Is this the bar now? Not "Does this man support facism and totalitarianism?" but "is this man planning on literally becoming another version Hitler?" At what point would you say Musk is bad? So far he's wrote columns supporting the most right wing party you can get in Germany, called our pretty centre left government socialist tyrants, repeatedly come out in favour of Tommy Robinson and just done two Roman salutes. It would be interesting if you could set what the line would be too far for him to cross so we can revisit this in a year. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy48v1x4dv4o
On Sunday, I finally got around to watching "Idiocracy". Imagine my surprise when yesterday, for some reason, BBC R4 decided to play the audios of a few cut scenes from that film during PM's normal slot...
Did you watch the video? I can't believe that he just made the nazi salute on stage at a presidential inauguration either, but he does.
He might have said or written a few things that have raised a few eyebrows but I'm not sure that makes him 'bad'. He just seems a bit excitable to me
Are we talking about Hitler in 1930? He's just excitable! You what he's like, bit too much meth and they start talking about reclaiming the Sudetenland. He's just a bit mental. Great speaker, smart dresser.
That's not an emphatic seig heil like Musk though. Often in the Bargain Hunt thread @reg_varney will capture a humorous still of an auctioneer gesturing with their palm facing flat down, but they won't have done the whole cross body, jerk to extend, twice in a row in a clear salute. I've no idea what Elon intended but what he executed was 2 Nazi salutes. Not shearer celebrations or friendly waves, or clumsy pointing.