(Sunday Book Club)
My Thoughts:
Twice impeached and twice acquitted, Trump has relied on the U.S. Constitution to defend his former presidency against legislative onslaughts from partisan rivals.
Moreover, Article II of the Constitution---reinforced by the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Nixon v. Fitzgerald (1982)---grants the president absolute immunity from civil suits related to official acts.
However, in the 2020 Trump v. Vance case, the Supreme Court allowed the Manhattan District Attorney to access Trump's financial records for a criminal investigation, challenging the notion of absolute immunity.
Currently, Trump seeks absolute presidential immunity from both criminal and civil suits, while Biden takes the opposite stance. The final decision, of course, rests with the nine sitting Supreme Court justices.
This ongoing power struggle between Trump and Biden puts the Constitution to yet another stress test, a challenge that should be embraced. Our democracy must demonstrate its resilience, as it has time and time again.
Welcome to American politics!
Author: renqiulan
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