A new memo from the Justice Department says President Donald Trump no longer has to follow a Watergate-era law barring him from holding on to presidential records when he leaves office.

It is the latest action by the administration to stymie transparency, government watchdog groups say, and yet another Trump swipe at the National Archives after its role in prompting the criminal case he faced for allegedly mishandling national defense materials.

The DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel – which gives legal advice to the executive branch – issued an opinion Thursday that said the Presidential Records Act is unconstitutional.

  • Paragone@lemmy.world
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    7 minutes ago

    The absolute-fools who believe that “democracy” somehow controls the Trump highjacking-of-the-US in-progress … one can only hope that they get to realize they have responsibility, before they die.

    Because others will be paying, with their lives, when the dictatorship goes full-ON.


    It is just the last 2-3 days, seeing the nauseating sycophancy of Trump’s people to him, that finally, after 6 decades I notice something that should have been obvious, before…

    Sycophancy IS RELIGIOSITY, just with a different focus!!

    Why the hell didn’t I clue-in that they’re the same fundamental-substance, only with different-focus, before??

    Religiosity is sycophancy towards “god”, normal-sycophancy is itself.

    They’re both phony, they’re both cloying, they’re both concerned with seeming devout, they’re both concerned with making process that displaces objectivity … they’re fundamentally unitary!

    No wonder Zen was my gateway into AwakeSoulism/Buddhism, before I discovered the technical-challenge of inner-mountaineering, the earning-of-realizations…

    See all for what it actually-is!

    _ /\ _

  • MerryJaneDoe@piefed.world
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    8 hours ago

    This is interesting.

    This memo is only relevant if Trump plans on staying in office past 2028, or installing another MAGA sycophant.

    I mean, Trump knows that if a Democrat takes office, the DOJ will first clean house and then go after him for this shit. Yet he telegraphs his intention to break the law. Why?

    • Pennomi@lemmy.world
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      8 hours ago

      It’s apparently a legal defense for government officials if the action was okayed by legal counsel. They are playing into this by putting only yes-men into power.

      • Mirshe@lemmy.world
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        6 hours ago

        Generally, “I did illegal thing because my lawyer advised me to do illegal thing (also I have power to compel my legal team to say whatever I want)” is not a GREAT defense.

      • Nastybutler@lemmy.world
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        7 hours ago

        Imagine thinking you won’t be disbarred and/or prosecuted as a MAGA lawyer for signing off on this shit. Once the orange shit stain is no longer in office, he can’t save you even if he wanted to.

    • foodandart@lemmy.zip
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      8 hours ago

      Dementia.

      Everyone thinks it means all of the sudden you stand in the corner mumbling at the walls and wearing your underpants above your clothes… but it starts oftentimes years ahead of diagnosis with irrational, defiant, rash decisions that are put down to stubbornness and age.

      Also, Trump IS terrified of ending up like his father, so in keeping with what he learned from Roy Cohn, it’s about keeping everyone around him off-balance so they can’t tell if it’s really mental impairment, or some “5D chess” move he’s making.

      Ultimately, he probably at this point, doesn’t know himself. Part malignant narcissist, part desperate terror, part dementia and part self-delusiuon.

      • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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        7 hours ago

        but it starts oftentimes years ahead of diagnosis with irrational, defiant, rash decisions that are put down to stubbornness and age.

        We’ve lived thru a decade straight of the president showing clear signs of dementia…

        If any American can’t recognize the signs of brain damage (specifically dementia) by now, they haven’t been paying attention or theyve got something of their own going on.

        • foodandart@lemmy.zip
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          3 hours ago

          I think a lot of people also forget that there was a gamut of immune response to Covid… It ranged from no issues at all to dropping dead within a few weeks. At what point did the low oxygenation in those made just ill enough from Covid to end up with breating problems, also get a touch of mental decline from that as well?

          I know a lot of people that seemed much quicker on the uptake and had more mental acuity before Covid… and historically I’d be the first one to take the position that I don’t know shit and usually have my head up my ass. Now, I’m the one that seems to have my shit together when so many no longer do.

          WTF?

    • ryannathans@aussie.zone
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      5 hours ago

      The people that pull the strings (AIPAC) own both the democrats and republicans, you won’t see any consequences come from most of this stuff.

      • vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works
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        5 hours ago

        AIPAC has diminishing influence, while it isn’t gone by far there a solid chance they may be ignored by 2028. Assuming the US doesn’t go into total economic collapse due to Trump before then since at this point I’m pretty sure that’d be the nail in coffin of the US continued existence.

        • ryannathans@aussie.zone
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          4 hours ago

          Pretending Israel doesn’t control America right now is a very braindead take when you look at the turmoil occuring right now FOR Israel

          • vaultdweller013@sh.itjust.works
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            4 hours ago

            Diminishing influence doesn’t mean no influence nor the potential for collapse of said influence. The influence of Rome was diminishing by Constantine but the last holdout of Rome did not fall till the 1400s. Regardless we live in interesting and ever changing times, meaning any view of the future is basically just guess work based on current events.

    • Xaphanos@lemmy.world
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      8 hours ago

      Death is his personal immunity. But if precedence is set, all dictatorial successors will benefit.

  • Optional@lemmy.world
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    7 hours ago

    These ignorant incompetent clownfucks following the demented slurring idiocies of a sociopath. Fuck.