‘The Presidential oath, which the framers of the Fourteenth Amendment surely knew, requires the President to swear to ‘preserve, protect and defend’ the Constitution — not to ‘support’ the Constitution,’ read a filing from the former president’s attorneys
The argument is that the word “support” isn’t explicitly there. Therefore, the President is not an officer of the government, and therefore Trump isn’t barred from being President under the 14th Amendment.
This argument is dumb, of course. Scalia once made a similar one, noting that punishments must be cruel and unusual to be constitutionally banned. Cruel or unusual on their own is fine.
Wait, that’s their actual argument? For real?
… 😂
Why stop at that word? Why not complain that every synonym for every word isn’t included? Just turn the whole thing into a thesaurus? (eta: like, the insurrection act doesn’t apply because you’re calling it a coup! Totally different word! I said I killed that guy, but the statute says ‘murder’ not ‘kill’. Checkmate atheists!)
Every time I think they’ve hit maximum daft, they climb back in the hole and dig up some more. Amazing.
I thought it was absurd when they claimed it in an interview. To actually argue it in court is just. Fucking lmao
Absolutely deranged reading tbh.
Unusual on its own IS fine, and happens fairly regularly.
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/news/2017/03/28/as-punishment-judge-orders-defendants-to-hold-poster-with-crime-committed
Just wondering what kind of cruelty would have to be added to this unusual punishment to qualify as illegal.
being locked in stocks while fulfilling the punishment would be the cruelty part
I’m totally down for locking Trump in stocks on the National Mall as part of his punishment. Sounds like a good idea.