You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Home Front: Culture Wars
Snarkapalooza awaits! MSNBC's Joy[less] Reid: What If Trump Refuses To Be Arrested By Federal Marshals?
2018-04-10
[RealClearPolitics] Sunday on her weekend morning program, MSNBC's Joy Reid seriously discussed a situation where President Trump refused a subpoena and would have to be arrested and put in jail until he testified before a grand jury. Reid envisioned a scenario of a White House besieged by federal marshals who would wait for Trump to give the Secret Service a stand down order so he could be taken into custody.

"Let's say that Donald Trump decides he doesn't want to give an interview with Mueller, but Mueller says 'Oh, but you will.' And he's subpoenaed to [be] interview[ed] [by] Robert Mueller. And Donald Trump simply says, 'I don't recognize that subpoena.' This is a president whose behavior is different as president of the United States. He doesn't follow convention. Who would force him to comply with the subpoena ordering him to do an interview with Robert Mueller?" Reid asked.

"It would be a federal court judge," former Watergate prosecutor Nick Akerman said.

"How would they enforce it?" she asked.

"Normally, a person who refuses to testify before a grand jury winds up being incarcerated for the time period of the grand jury which can be up to 18 months," Akerman said. "So, one way to enforce it is to have Donald Trump taken by the federal marshals and put into federal prison until he testifies."

"What if he refuses to open the White House door?" Reid asked, seriously. "What if he fires any Secret Service agent who would allow the federal marshals in? What if Donald Trump simply decides I don't have to follow the law? 'I refuse to be held under the law. No marshal can get into this White House and any Secret Service agent who defies me is fired.'"

"Well, at some point he is going to have to come out of the White House," Akerman answered. "At some point, he is going to have to leave and the U.S. Marshals will be directed to take him into custody, bring him before a federal district court judge. He'll be basically told that either he goes in and he testifies or he takes the Fifth Amendment. If he takes the Fifth Amendment, there's not a problem. If he refuses to answer on the grounds that a truthful answer would tend to incriminate him he has the right to do that. If he does that, there's no contempt. If he doesn't do that, he can be directed to go directly to jail. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. End of story."

As the discussion continued Akerman talked about a bench warrant for Trump and how that would play out with law enforcement. Reid also conceived a situation where Trump wouldn't "recognize the authority" of investigators while "an entire media chorus" would be there to encourage him to be defiant, something she said Nixon did not have.
I believe this whack-o has monsters under her bed. And in her meds.
Posted by:Vast Right Wing Conspiracy

#9  Can't Trump pardon himself for any 'crimes' of refusing to be arrested?
Posted by: Glenmore   2018-04-10 19:29  

#8  Everyone who is paying for this "product" in any way - NBC, advertisers, cable subscribers - deserves exactly what they are getting for their $$$.
Posted by: M. Murcek   2018-04-10 16:27  

#7  Me Reid: what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone Watching MSNBC is now dumber for having listened to it, if possible. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
Posted by: regular joe   2018-04-10 14:39  

#6  "Besides, there's the 5th Amendment. No one can be forced to testify against himself."

The deep state is like a cornered animal. All bets are off. They don't recognize the constitution except when it benefits them. Trump is a street fighter...time to hit the streets.
Posted by: Warthog   2018-04-10 12:23  

#5  Joy read is building the case for inevitability in the minds of her viewers. They'll be let down when it never happens and believe he pulled something illegal (joy will invent that when the time comes).

MSNBC fans are easily led.
Posted by: ruprecht   2018-04-10 11:50  

#4  He has immunity of office till he's impeached. That is what impeachment is about.

Besides, there's the 5th Amendment. No one can be forced to testify against himself.

Of course, the courts themselves seem to have thrown out Article 5 and are on a run to amend the Constitution as they see fit. That would be people who sit for life and are unaccountable to the people.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2018-04-10 08:44  

#3  cont'd - what makes you think he couldn't find a judge to put out a contract warrant on Trump?
Posted by: Gleaque Omeper4769   2018-04-10 08:11  

#2  So did Bobby Three-sticks Mueller find a judge to throw out 200 years of precedent and let him raid the lawyer of his ultimate target?
Posted by: Gleaque Omeper4769   2018-04-10 08:09  

#1  I believe this whack-o has monsters under her bed. And in her meds.

Wacko is she? Lets do a thought experiment.
Suppose Stormy Daniels is killed in a car accident tomorrow (what, you think the deep state doesn't have resources or will to do something like this - ask Seth Rich). Can they find a federal judge to issue an arrest warrant against Trump?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2018-04-10 01:19  

00:00