Laurence Tribe argues that Trump’s pardons to absolve the crimes of his friends might be crimes themselves if they’re issued to obstruct justice. Tribe explains to Lawrence O’Donnell why it’s important for the next administration to investigate and prosecute those abuses of power: “We can only move ahead if we ensure some degree of accountability for someone who has been a criminal in office.” Aired on 12/28/2020.
» Subscribe to MSNBC:
About The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell:
Drawing upon his experience as a former chief of staff on the Senate Finance Committee and as an Emmy-winning executive producer and writer of "The West Wing," Lawrence O'Donnell examines the compelling and impactful political stories of the day. O'Donnell convenes diverse panels of guests, including a variety of politicians and cultural voices, to offer unique viewpoints and perspective. In his signature style, O'Donnell highlights the latest news developments and offers his take on the political stories driving the national conversation.
MSNBC delivers breaking news, in-depth analysis of politics headlines, as well as commentary and informed perspectives. Find video clips and segments from The Rachel Maddow Show, Morning Joe, Meet the Press Daily, The Beat with Ari Melber, Deadline: White House with Nicolle Wallace, Hardball, All In, Last Word, 11th Hour, and more.
Connect with MSNBC Online
Visit msnbc.com:
Subscribe to MSNBC Newsletter:
Find MSNBC on Facebook:
Follow MSNBC on Twitter:
Follow MSNBC on Instagram:
#LaurenceTribe #Pardons #MSNBC
Harvard Law Professor: ‘Donald Trump’s Pardons Must Not Obstruct Justice’ | The Last Word | MSNBC
There will be no Justice without accountability.
@Chris Hunter the FBI have been informed of his comments now. This guy sounds like he should be monitored.
@bonecrayon he certainly is a killer, I think
@Yozhik he’s definitely a few screws loose. Pretty stupid too, using his own name on YouTube, makes it easy to find his FB profile. He has been reported to authorities. 🥴🤦🏼♂️
@bonecrayon good job!!!
@michael boultinghouse What about justice for those iraqi civilians that those blackwater guys killed.
– *If you could reason with Trump supporters They wouldn’t be Trump supporters* –
@m jones i dont think melanona has called every one a racist like kamala has..she even called quid pro quo joe a racist.. but she is a dem.. thats the only word they know
@jeff mcgowan yes the vaccine was expedited and it needed to be to try to save lives. But keep in mind, we needed a vaccine because the President of the United States made an administration that REMOVED the virus alert safeguards 3 years prior and then knew of the virus and it’s possibilities but for his own selfish, illogical, insecure, evil reasons hid the facts and did not protect the people of this country. Nearly 350,000 people are dead from this virus and you want to give him credit for a quick vaccine? Scientists working on this wanted it more than he did to save the lives of people not to be puffed up saying “look what I did – no one has ever done this” – really? And if that’s not bad enough, I have never heard him accept responsibility for the lives lost nor speak to the families offering sympathy. I have never seen video nor news of this but if you have a link showing that, I apologize and would accept it. Let’s not be so biased that we come short of common decency and put party over people. God bless.
@anonymous look.. you got to know this about a virus.. no man can stop it.. no country can stop it… it does its thing and kills untill you find a cure… trump saved theses fake clowns that cry over every thing trump.. dont forget to get your trump vaccine befor the dems give yours to china
@anonymous you want to tell me what obamas administration would have done.. let me tell you.. the dems has sanctuary cities because they would not and did not obey border laws.. cant keep illegals out and you think they can keep a chins virus out..lol.. trump obeys laws.. builds wall to stop all
@anonymous obama and quid pro quo joe had 8 years and could not make jobs to make our own medical sup… trump leader in making jobs done that in 3.3/4 years..
Let’s not forget the Trumpian enablers that allowed this horror show in the WH to get progressively worse.
@jeff mcgowan: Are your tender little baby-heart feelings showing?
Toh yes
https://youtu.be/zFJ2AN_CZH8
@ScienceBitch qqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqq
@ScienceBitch Only Lincoln and Garfield were treated worse. They hurt his feelings bigly on a daily basis. so unfair. The evil MSM with their facts and direct feeds of him talking. What a bunch of gotchas. They know he expects them to let him edit all the clips.
@Kathy Moran uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaacccccccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk anon.
I like presidents that weren’t impeached…
@outdoor fun
He will always carry that title.
History books will put an asterisk by his name.
@Chris A you can’t reason with trumplicans
Trump is corrupt af and all the really dummy braindead trump supporters are gunna back him until they die ignorance simply controls
@outdoor fun no he was impeached but nothing was done after his impeachment.
@Heather C so why waste time to impeach without having consequences? We know you committed a crime but meh!
If Trump gets away with this the Constitution becomes a meaningless joke.
You’ve never understood the Constitution.
There are many idiotic (since totally outdated) elements in this constitution. E.g. why do you have to vote on a Tuesday?
(I know why, but it does not make sense anymore in today‘s world.)
It became a joke when trump had a trial without witnesses allowed
@Nodens Bertilak The witnesses weren’t needed anyway. The GOP Senators openly admitted the prosecution had made it’s case against Trump. They however said they were going to acquit him and they they were sure he learned his lesson. They also said that since the election was so close that the people could decide. And we decided to “fire” him. The Senate Should have ousted him from office that day but even if they had Congress could not actually sentence him. A court of law should be his next stop now and what was said by those Senators used as evidence against Trump.
Trump has gotten away with scams all his life. That is all he knows.
This is what I have been saying.
Just imagine if president Obama had done any of the stuff that dump has done.
@Jor el Kent Your english is as good as Trump’s, what’s the weather like in Stalingrad today?
@Jor el Kent
Yeah, that’s because in typical fashion, you’ve got no brain (par for the course, pun very much intended).
@Godfrey Daniel and did Hoover have a Pandemic to deal with?
@Juan Valdez just the great depression 🤦🏼♂️
@Jor el Kent go back to school hillbilly, I know you didn’t finish high school. You use words that you don’t understand, contradicting yourself in the same sentence shows your lack of education.
Harvard law professor is absolutely right! Justice Matters!
@michael boultinghouse the only death will be right wing kkklan
@Trumptreason 4gitmo personally, i wish reich wingers would decide whether Antifa (which technically doesn’t exist, until it does) are limp wristed soyboys or dangerous terrorists.
boultinghouse might be surprised at how many of them (us?) are better armed than he is. they (we?) just aren’t stupid enough to wave weapons around in public or storm public buildings to intimidate elected officials who are DOING THEIR JOBS!.
@michael boultinghouse All your bullying shows only one thing, gun ownership, and application needs to be reformed. Mentally unstable people should not own weapons in order not to endanger themselves and others. You should be aware that postings on social media are justiciable if there is an incitement to violence and terror.
@michael huppertz these are predictions and nobody knows the future. As for gun ownership, yes the Deplorables are overwhelming in those numbers, but they also make up the majority of police and military in my country,. the antifa gays and their BLM mascots only know how to loot a Dollar store in portland. but these deplorables cleared Fallujah in Iraq. These marxists are doomed. they know nothing of urban guerrilla combat and will be easily destroyed with triangulated sniper fire, grenades, and lethal ambushes.
For me the good news is that I think he can only pardon crooks for past actions not future ones and it isn’t as though they are going to stop and neither is he. I hope Biden is tough enough.
Remember Biden: “I would like to get Trump in a boxing ring.”
Well Biden, here’s your chance to the match you wanted. Throw Trump a 1-2 punch by going after him and having him prosecuted for the crimes he committed.
We can not heal or move forward without accountability. No one is above the law-not even the president!
From what where being told, is that being above the law. Is lawful. So fulfilling the law of the US Constitution. Its all the ordinances and regulations that us civilian are held accountable, with rigor.
Toh yes
https://youtu.be/zFJ2AN_CZH8
What he’s talking about is exactly what Trump has done. This must not be allowed to stand.
The only way to see if the Pardons have obstructed. Is to form a commision to look at that very thing.
WELL SAID.
You’d think you creeps would be more aware how you are living by a king’s rule. He actually went golfing, on his resort ( with our tax dollars being used ) without signing relief bill. WE, tax payers paid for it to actually be FLOWN to him in Florida!! He still sat around and didn’t sign it!! Millions of Americans lost unemployment because it timed out. He did all that just to punish McConnell. Trump’s own people had to explain how fkd up it was!! How it is going to crush his own party, plus American’s!!! You people are killing America.
This is a criminal administration, with no regard to law, morality or order. The pardons should be reviewed and quashed.
@Steve Tawney Of course it was. So that now it can become an undebunkable conspiracy theory. The best ones, as everyone knows.
@Steve Tawney if Trump can commit these crimes and get away with it, then so can Democratic Presidents. People like you are helping to set a precedent allowing any future President to be blatantly criminal with impunity.
They can call them to give evidence, they cannot claim 5th amendment and if they lie and are caught they can be jailed again and liar Trump cannot save them. Trump needs to be told by congress that any more lies about voter fraud will lead to immediate impeachment for trying to overthrow the lawful government, or removal as mentally unfit. More than 50 opportunities to bring evidence to court and none produced is enough. There must be consequences for his lies and his criminal pardons.
Steve Tawney The problem with the videos you probably mean is that they do not show voter fraud. They show regular procedures during counting etc. As has been stated after thorough investigation by the officials responsible, including Republicans.
@Kieran s I believe you are correct that they could no longer claim the 5th amendment to refuse testifying. But, Trump will have a sweeping Federal Crimes Presidential Pardon too. I think Trump should be impeached again, but this time have it done correctly, not rushed and given with have proven evidence. It needs to be an airtight case that is beyond doubt and it needs to get through the Senate. This would serve at least three important purposes as far as I am concerned. (1) It will prove the criminality of Trump’s actions as President even if Trump is not punished for those actions. (2) It will prevent Trump from holding elected office again. (3) It will remove from Trump the benefits given to an ex-President.
Other than that, what state levels charges can be made should be made. Also, what civil actions can be made should be.
You cannot ignore gangrene. Denial ensures death.
Hi debra
EXACTLY..this is just a breeding ground for more corruption then we already have.
Yes. It would literally signal that IT’S OK and INVITE more corruption and outright assaults against people of this and other nations.
Hi miss
“Those who do not remember and rectify the past are doomed to repeat it.”
I thought Biden would’ve been educated in history. Tell him the situation right now requires STRONG WORDS, not understatement and denial that what’s going on here is TREASON. FFS, we’re not talking about a shift change at the local supermarket. WTF doesn’t he get??
Im sure it was a fee for those pardons, the son in law was the negotiator.
“… except in cases of impeachment”.
Donnie can’t be granted a pardon.
@Jack Boot what you do not get the difference in is that the claim by Texas might have consideration… if that claim were true… which it is not. The whole point of Federal Law is to have a higher law between states that deals with law between states and among multiple states. If one state decided to through out any regard for law, state and/or federal, over something that effected other states, then other states have a valid cause to take that issue before federal law.
But, neither state nor federal law would accept any level of power being able to sit in judgement of its own crimes, because at that point you have a dictatorship.
@Hyperpandas and you still haven’t gotten the point… both are corruption…. but one is a greater level of corruption.
@Aristotle Stagirus Well, it’s super that you feel that way. But how you feel isn’t what makes something illegal.
@Hyperpandas it is not a matter of what I feel, it is a matter of what can be argued before the law. Both fail passing the law, but one fails passing the law worse than the other.
@Aristotle Stagirus Again, you’ve claimed that a self pardon is against the Constitution, but have refused to cote where beyond a general appeal to corruption. That’s fine, I also think its wrong and corrupt. But it’d be helpful if you actually pointed to where it violates the law.
Hopefully, the House can subpoena those pardonees
and see if they would be willing to perjure themselves.
Yup. 😁
The Professor made an outstanding point. The Biden administration must take his point seriously. The Professor should speak up more on this issue in the future.
The only way to see if the Pardons have obstructed. Is to form a commision to look at that very thing.
@House Majority its called the victims act its over rides trump pardons
They may have been pardoned, but they’re still criminals.
The mere fact that they needed pardons says they are guilty of something!
can not agree more……
They don’t care about being labelled criminals. All they care about is avoiding jailed. They made a decision a long time ago to not care about what people think of them. They can always buy the amount of friends that they want.
@Sukhbir Sekhon Exactly, I would say so what Billy?