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Date: 2025-07-11 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00027068
SCOTUS 2024
RACHEL MADDOW: AMAZING DECISIONS BY SCOTUS
MSNBC: ‘Death squad ruling’: Maddow reacts to Supreme Court Trump immunity decision
Original article:
Peter Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess
‘Death squad ruling’: Maddow reacts to Supreme Court Trump immunity decision MSNBC 6.87M subscribers Jul 1, 2024 #SupremeCourt #Trump #immunity Rachel Maddow on the Supreme Court's immunity decision: 'This is a death squad ruling. This is a ruling that says that as long as you can construe it as an official or quasi-official act, you can do absolutely anything. Absolutely anything and never be held accountable, not only while you are president, but forever.' » Subscribe to MSNBC: https://www.youtube.com/msnbc Download our new MSNBC app for the latest breaking news and daily headlines at a glance: https://www.msnbc.com/information/dow... Follow MSNBC Show Blogs
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#SupremeCourt #Trump #immunity Transcript
  • 0:00
  • CAMPAIGN MESSAGE FOR THE SECOND
  • TERM TO FINISH THE JOB ON
  • JANUARY 6th.
  • HE ASKED THE COURT TO GRANT HIM
  • THAT POWER AND TODAY SHOCKINGLY,
  • APPALLINGLY THE COURT ACQUEICED.
  • RACHEL, JUST YOUR THOUGHTS.
  • I REMEMBER TALKING TO YOU THE
  • DAY OF ORAL ARGUMENTS WHEN WE
  • DID A SPECIAL.
  • EVERYONE'S ACTION TO THAT, WHOA,
  • ARE THEY GOING TO DO THIS?
  • >> YEAH.
  • I REMEMBER TALKING TO YOU ABOUT
  • THIS, CHRIS, THE DAY THEY CHOSE
  • 0:38
  • TO TAKE IT UP, THE DECISION TO
  • 0:40
  • TAKE IT UP ITSELF WAS SO GOB
  • 0:44
  • SMACKING AND I'M GENERALLY A
  • 0:46
  • GLASS HALF EMPTY KIND OF PERSON,
  • 0:50
  • I ALWAYS SEE THE CLOUD BEFORE I
  • 0:52
  • SEE THE SILVER LINING.
  • 0:54
  • WE TALKED ABOUT THE RADICALISM
  • 0:57
  • OF THAT DECISION IN AND OF
  • 0:58
  • ITSELF.
  • 0:59
  • WHEN THE DISTRICT COURT, RULED

  • 1:00
  • ON THIS ISSUE BASICALLY THE RULE
  • WAS, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE A
  • PRESIDENT ISN'T IMMUNE, WHEN THE
  • APPEALS COURT THEN LOOKED AT IT
  • AND REVIEWED THAT DECISION, IT
  • WAS A BULLETPROOF DECISION FROM
  • THAT APPEALS COURT WHERE THE
  • BOTTOM LINE WAS ESSENTIALLY, OF
  • COURSE, NO, A PRESIDENT CAN'T BE
  • IMMUNED.
  • IT WAS GOBSMACKING WHEN THE
  • SUPREME COURT TOOK IT UP.
  • 1:27
  • IN MY GLASS HALF-EMPTY KIND OF
  • 1:29
  • WAY, I THOUGHT, WELL -- UNDER
  • 1:32
  • THE WORST CASE SCENARIO THEY'RE
  • 1:35
  • NOT GOING TO DECIDE HE'S IMMUNE.
  • 1:39
  • IT'S OUTRAGEOUS THEY'VE TAKEN IT
  • 1:43
  • UP.
  • 1:43
  • GIVE HIM TEMPORARY IMMUNITY
  • 1:45
  • BEFORE THE ELECTION.
  • 1:46
  • ONCE THE ELECTION HAPPENS, IF HE
  • 1:48
  • WINS HE MAKES THE PROSECUTIONS
  • 1:50
  • GO AWAY ANYWAY.
  • 1:51
  • I DIDN'T EXPECT THEY'D DO THIS
  • 1:53
  • AND THEY, YOU KNOW, DONALD TRUMP
  • 1:55
  • AND HIS COUNSEL ASKED FOR THIS

  • 2:00
  • 100% ABSOLUTE IMMUNITY THING
  • WHICH WAS INSANE, I'D SAY THEY
  • GOT 105% OF WHAT THEY WERE
  • ASKING FOR, THEY GOT IMMUNITY
  • FROM THIS COURT DESPITE SO MUCH
  • THE LANGUAGE IN JUSTICE ROBERTS'
  • RULING, SAYING THAT THERE WAS
  • SOME -- SOME MEASURE OF HUMILITY
  • HERE, OR SOME MEASURE OF
  • RESTRAINT.
  • THEY GIVE TRUMP IMMUNITY THAT
  • EVEN HE AND COUNSEL DID NOT ASK
  • FOR AND GIVEN THE HYPOTHETICALS
  • 2:29
  • OVER THE COURSE OF THESE
  • 2:32
  • ARGUMENTS AS YOU RIGHTLY POINTED
  • 2:33
  • OUT, CAN A PRESIDENT ASSASSINATE
  • 2:35
  • A RIVAL?
  • 2:35
  • WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE SUPREME
  • 2:37
  • COURT'S AFFIRMATIVE ANSWER TO
  • 2:39
  • THAT, YES, YOU CAN.
  • 2:41
  • WITH AS MUCH SERIOUSNESS AS IT
  • 2:45
  • DESERVES.
  • 2:45
  • THIS IS A DEATH SQUAD RULING.
  • 2:47
  • THIS IS RULING THAT SAYS AS LONG
  • 2:48
  • AS YOU CAN CONSTRUE IT AS AN
  • 2:52
  • OFFICIAL OR QUASI-OFFICIAL ACT
  • 2:54
  • YOU CAN DO ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING,
  • 2:58
  • ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING, AND NEVER
  • 2:59
  • BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE, NOT ONLY

  • 3:03
  • WHILE YOU ARE PRESIDENT BUT
  • FOREVER.
  • THIS PRESIDENT HAS ACTIVATED
  • PRO-TRUMP PARAMILITARY GROUP,
  • WEAR T-SHIRTS AND CELEBRATE
  • RIGHT-WING DEATH SQUADS.
  • A PRESIDENT WHO HAS TALKED ABOUT
  • USING THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO
  • GO AFTER HIS -- TO GO AFTER HIS
  • RIVALS, THIS EXPLICITLY
  • IMMUNIZES ANYTHING THE PRESIDENT
  • 3:31
  • WANTS TO DO THROUGH THE JUSTICE
  • 3:34
  • DEPARTMENT AND FULL STOP TO
  • 3:38
  • ANYONE.
  • 3:38
  • >> I'M 100% WITH YOU ON THAT.
  • 3:40
  • I WANT TO STAY ON DEPARTMENT OF
  • 3:42
  • JUSTICE THING, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S
  • 3:44
  • REASON WHY IN THOSE, THE
  • 3:46
  • HYPOTHETICAL OFFERED BY A
  • 3:48
  • FEDERAL JUDGE IN THE APPEALS
  • 3:51
  • COURT ARGUMENTS ABOUT S.E.A.L.
  • 3:55
  • TEAM 6, WHY THAT'S HAD SUCH
  • 3:59
  • SIGNIFICANCE, BUT THAT'S A

  • 4:01
  • HYPOTHETICAL, IT HASN'T HAPPENED
  • IN AMERICAN HISTORY, WHAT HAS
  • HAPPENED IN AMERICAN HISTORY IS
  • A PRESIDENT RICHARD NIXON USING
  • THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, THE IRS,
  • ALL KINDS -- I MEAN, HE HAD THE
  • IRS AUDIT HIS POLITICAL ENEMIES.
  • HE ATTEMPTED TO USE THE JUSTICE
  • 4:17
  • DEPARTMENT TO GO AFTER HIS
  • 4:19
  • ENEMIES.
  • 4:20
  • THAT'S AMERICAN HISTORY.
  • 4:23
  • YOU'VE BEEN A HISTORIAN OF THIS
  • 4:24
  • PERIOD FOR A LOT OF REASONS,
  • 4:26
  • THERE WAS A CONCLUSION THAT
  • 4:28
  • WATERGATE WAS WRONG, AND THAT
  • 4:35
  • WHAT NIXON DID WAS WRONG.
  • 4:37
  • THE READING FROM ROBERTS TODAY,
  • 4:40
  • WATERGATE WASN'T PROSECUTORABLE,
  • 4:42
  • WHAT NIXON DID AS PRESIDENT HE
  • 4:44
  • PROBABLY WAS IMMUNE FOR, TOO BAD
  • 4:48
  • JOHN ROBERTS WASN'T AROUND IN
  • 4:50
  • 1974.
  • 4:51
  • >> I MEAN, THE EXECUTIVE SORT OF
  • 4:53
  • THE IMPERIAL EXECUTIVE IDEA PIE
  • 4:56
  • NEARED BY REPUBLICAN JUSTICE
  • 4:59
  • DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS LIKE ED

  • 5:01
  • MEESE, GOVERNING APEX UNDER DICK
  • CHENEY AND WORKED IN REPUBLICAN
  • POLITICS TO APPROVE THE SORT OF
  • THINGS THAT HAPPENED
  • PARTICULARLY AFTER 9/11 UNDER
  • THE GEORGE W. BUSH WHITE HOUSE,
  • 5:13
  • THOSE HAVE BEEN BROUGHT BY
  • 5:15
  • BRINGING A BUNCH OF PEOPLE WHO
  • 5:16
  • ARE PART OF THAT CULTURAL,
  • 5:19
  • BRINGING THEM INTO A
  • 5:21
  • SUPERMAJORITY IN THE SUPREME
  • 5:22
  • COURT THAT HAS BROUGHT US TO A
  • 5:24
  • PLACE WHERE A PRESIDENT HAS HAD
  • 5:26
  • HIS LAWYERS ASKED BY A JUSTICE
  • 5:28
  • IN OPEN COURT, ARE YOU SAYING
  • 5:30
  • YOUR GUY CAN ASSASSINATE SOMEONE
  • 5:33
  • AND HE'LL HAVE IMMUNITY FOR
  • 5:35
  • THAT?
  • 5:35
  • THE ANSWER WAS YES.
  • 5:36
  • THE COURT WROTE IT DOWN.
  • 5:39
  • AND THAT ANSWER IS THE LOGICAL,
  • YOU KNOW, APEX OF WHERE THOSE
  • THINGS GO OVER TIME.
  • BUT TO HAVE THAT RADICALISM
  • LAND, WHEN YOU HAVE A POTENTIAL
  • NEXT TERM OF DONALD TRUMP ON THE
  • HORIZON IF HE WINS IN NOVEMBER,

  • 6:01
  • WHERE HE'S SAYING EXACTLY WHAT
  • HE'LL DO WITH THIS POWER, IS
  • QUITE A REMARKABLE THING, YOU'LL
  • NOTICE THAT NOBODY IN REACTING
  • TO TODAY'S RULING THEY'RE
  • SAYING, WOW, HOW SCARY, WHAT IS
  • JOE BIDEN GOING TO DO WITH THIS
  • POWER, RIGHT, NOBODY'S SAYING
  • THAT, NOBODY IS WORRIED A
  • 6:18
  • PRESIDENT LIKE JOE BIDEN IS
  • 6:19
  • GOING TO, YOU KNOW, ABUSE THIS
  • 6:21
  • IN SUCH A WAY THAT'S GOING TO BE
  • 6:24
  • BRING ABOUT A DE
  • 6:32
  • DICTATORSHIP.
  • 6:32
  • BECAUSE A THIS'S WHAT DONALD
  • 6:33
  • TRUMP IS PROMISING THAT, THEY'RE
  • 6:36
  • DOING THIS IN THE FULL CONTEXT,
  • 6:38
  • THE FULL KNOWLEDGE OF THE
  • 6:39
  • RADICALISM OF WHAT THEY'RE
  • 6:41
  • BRINGING DOWN UPON THE COUNTRY
  • 6:42
  • AND THE ONLY SOLUTION TO THIS,
  • 6:44
  • THE ONLY WAY OUT OF THIS IS TO
  • 6:47
  • HAVE NONCRIMINALS AND
  • 6:57
  • NONAUTHORITARIAN-MINDED WIN
  • PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS.
  • THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO FIX IT.
  • IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE WHO'S

  • 7:00
  • CRIMINAL OR AUTHORITARIAN MINDED
  • WHEN THEY GET IN THERE ARMED
  • WITH THIS RULING THERE'S NOTHING
  • THEY CAN'T DO.
  • >> ON THAT FINAL POINT, YEAH,
  • THE PROSPECTIVE IMPLICATIONS OF
  • TODAY'S RULING ARE MORE PROFOUND
  • IN SOME WAYS AND MORE UNNERVING
  • THAN THE RETROACTIVE ONES, ABOUT
  • THE TRIAL, WE'LL TALK ABOUT
  • THIS, WAS DID IT MEAN FOR THE
  • CASE THAT JACK SMITH HAS?
  • IT'S STILL ALIVE.
  • THEY CAN CABIN ENOUGH OF THIS TO
  • 7:32
  • BRING IT.
  • 7:34
  • BUT THE SYMBOLIC MEANING TO ME
  • 7:38
  • AS IMPORTANT AS THE LEGAL
  • 7:43
  • MEANING.
  • 7:43
  • FOR THE REASONS THAT YOU SAY.
  • 7:44
  • WHAT IT SAYS TO TRUMP AND TO
  • 7:46
  • REPUBLICANS, I MEAN, THE JOKE I
  • 7:49
  • MADE TODAY WAS LIKE JOHN ROBERTS
  • 7:51
  • PULLED DOWN THE AMERICAN FLAG
  • 7:52
  • TURNED IT UPSIDE-DOWN AND
  • HOISTED IT BACK UP ON THE
  • SUPREME COURT, IT FELT LIKE TO
  • ME THE OPINION WE'RE WITH YOU ON

  • 8:01
  • THIS.
  • >> YEAH.
  • >> OVER AND ABOVE ITS FINDINGS,
  • ITS HOLDINGS AS A MATTER OF
  • CONSTITUTIONAL LAW.
  • >> YEAH, I MEAN, IF THE
  • PRESIDENT -- WHEN DONALD TRUMP
  • RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT IN 2016
  • STARTED LEADING CROWDS IN THAT
  • LOCK HER UP CHANT, AS SHOCKING
  • 8:24
  • AS IT WAS TO MOST OF THE
  • 8:26
  • COUNTRY, IT WAS A TRANSGRESSIVE
  • 8:29
  • THRILL TO TRUMP AND HIS
  • 8:31
  • FOLLOWERS BECAUSE THEY KNEW IT
  • 8:33
  • SOUNDED SO WRONG.
  • 8:35
  • BUT THEY ENJOYED THAT
  • 8:37
  • TRANSGRESSIVE THRILL SO MUCH
  • 8:39
  • THAT IT BECAME POLICY, HE TRIED
  • 8:41
  • TO GET THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO
  • 8:43
  • BRING IMPROPER POLITICAL
  • MOTIVATIONS AGAINST OPPONENTS.
  • WE KNOW THAT HE'S VERY, VERY --
  • THIS IS WHAT HE WANTS TO DO.

  • 9:00
  • THIS IS WHAT HE THINKS POWER
  • SHOULD BE.
  • NOW THE SUPREME COURT HAS SAID,
  • WITHOUT RESERVATION, AND WITHOUT
  • LIMIT, YEAH, YOU CAN DO THAT, WE
  • PROMISE YOU EXPLICITLY IN THE
  • RULING AND THE LANGUAGE OF THE
  • RULING, ANYTHING YOU SAY TO YOUR
  • JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SUBJECT TO
  • IMMUNITY FOR YOU.
  • 9:22
  • AND THAT IS -- I MEAN, THE RULE
  • 9:26
  • OF LAW MEANS IN THIS COUNTRY
  • 9:28
  • THAT THE LAW ISN'T USED AS A
  • 9:32
  • INSTRUMENT OF THE RULER, THE
  • 9:34
  • RULE OF LAW IS SUPPOSED TO
  • 9:36
  • CONSTRAINED THE RULER.
  • 9:37
  • THE SUPREME COURT JUST UNDID IT.
  • IT'S BINDING.
  • NOW THE WAY OUR COUNTRY IS
  • STRUCTURED.
  • THE ONLY WAY OUT OF THIS, THE
  • ONLY FIX TO THIS, IS
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