Questions tagged [president]
For questions regarding heads of state with the title "President." Should be used with a jurisdiction tag to indicate which country the question is about.
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Why was Trump's hush money payment considered a campaign contribution?
The argument I read online is that it's part of the "catch and kill" process that is used to benefit Trump's campaign and protect his reputation. But, there are other benefits to Trump to ...
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Would being diagnosed with having Parkinson's disease make a sitting POTUS physically unfit to be the POTUS?
I would like to know that if a sitting POTUS is diagnosed with having Parkinson's disease, would this medical diagnosis make the sitting POTUS physically unfit to be POTUS?
I confirm I mean physically ...
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Why does the Trump immunity decision further delay the trial?
Why is Trump heralding this as a victory, and why are Democrats and the liberal justices saying this puts the president above the law?
There’s another excellent question on the Trump immunity decision ...
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Can someone explain the Trump immunity ruling?
The US Supreme Court handed down their ruling in the presidential immunity case regarding Donald Trump and the January 6 insurrection. From what I've been able to tell from news reports, they said ...
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In the Hush Money case, why was Trump not charged with the "other" crimes?
In New York law, falsifying business records (which Trump was charged with) is only a misdemeanor. However, if the falsification was done with intent to help commit or conceal a crime, then it is ...
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Why President's power to grant pardon to punishment or sentence are dealt separately in drafted language of article 72 of Constitution of India?
Constitution of India
Article 72 : [Title: Power of President to grant pardons, etc., and to suspend, remit or commute sentences in certain cases]
Sub Article (1) : The President shall have the power ...
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What happens if the cabinet does not want to trigger the 25th amendment even though the President is in a coma?
This is a hypothetical. Let's say Trump's cabinet has not resigned yet. Joe Biden is sworn in and, overwhelmed by the emotions, he has a stroke and can't move or speak, or he is in a coma, but he is ...
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What is current status of Trump's Carroll II payment?
In 2023 a court/jury ruled that Trump should pay $5 million dollars to EJ Carroll. I understand he has submitted that money to the court which is holding it pending an appeal. But I can find no ...
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Are there consistent precedents for “acts of war”?
I don’t know the details of how it happened, but I am pretty sure the assassination of Osama bin Laden required presidential authorization from Barack Obama (I don’t know why, though - if it were an ...
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Could a medical condition rendering a person incapacitated make someone ineligble for the presidency?
Alice wants to run for President of the United States. She qualifies for age, being born in the US and time lived in the US. So far so easy. But Alice also is suffering from an illness that results in ...
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Based on what legal basis is former AG Edwin Meese arguing that appointment of Jack Smith was improper?
Former attorney general Edwin Meese wrote an Amici Curiae paper to the federal DC Circuit Court of Appeals that Jack Smith's appointment as special prosecutor and counsel in the prosecution of Trump ...
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Two terms for a president [duplicate]
If a Vice President becomes President on the death of a President such as with LBJ and the election is not for two years. Are they allowed to stand for two addition terms or is the rest of the term ...
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Why did Jack Smith concede federal DC circuit appeals court has jurisdiction over Trump immunity claims when he could've relied on SCOTUS precedent?
Special prosecutor Jack Smith conceded that the DC circuit has appellate jurisdiction to hear Trump's interlocutory (interim) appeal over denial of criminal immunity for his actions on 1/6/2021 under ...
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What is the cause of Letitia James’s “civil claim” against trump? [duplicate]
It’s confusing to me because her standing seems to derive from her position as attorney general, and yet this is a position that is meant as I had understood to prosecute crimes, not civil matters. So ...
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What if someone serving time in a state prison gets elected president?
What if someone serving time in a state prison gets elected president?
Would it be legal for the state to continue to incarcerate a US president?
Can he order himself to be released (for example, on ...
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Can the Secret Service arrest someone who uses an illegal drug inside of the White House?
In light of the recent discovery of cocaine inside the West Wing of the White House, I am wondering if a person who either lives in, or works in, or makes a visit to the White House, is caught using ...
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Could they subpoena Mike Pence to testify whether he knew that Trump had taken classified documents out of the White House?
In regards to the trial that will take place in the future regarding the issue of former U.S. President Donald Trump mishandling classified documents, I was just wondering if former Vice President ...
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Legal to become president if U.S. adds new state/territories?
If the U.S. adds a new territory, are the people currently living there able to become president? Or does the territory have to become a state in order for the people to be eligible to become ...
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Does the President really have the absolute right to declassify anything he wants to?
The claim has been made by Donald Trump and many others that the sitting President has the absolute right to declassify any documents he wishes. Leaving aside the issue of what procedure he would have ...
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Can a U.S. President's doctor refuse to answer medical-related questions asked by a Congressional committee?
Say that in the event that the 25th Amendment was to be invoked due to the suspicion that the U.S. President was no longer physically and/or mentally capable of performing his/her Presidential duties, ...
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Were people born in the Confederacy eligible to run for president?
Since the Confederacy existed for about four years, presumably some number of babies were born there during that time. Technically, those people were not born in the United States.
When those people ...
CommunityBot
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What laws, if any, were violated and what are the theoretical penalties for breaking them associated with Trumps failure to disclose the 19.8 m loan?
Trump having a foreign loan for 19.8m that wasn't disclosed is sort of big news now. However, the news doesn't say much about the legal implications, many imply he violated a requirement to disclose ...
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If Kayne West/Ye ran for President, would he be listed on ballots as Kayne West or Ye?
It looks like Kayne West is considering running for President. If he runs in 2024 and is included on ballots, will he be listed as "Ye" or "Kayne West"?
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Could the 14th amendment, section 3, keep Trump from holding office for a second term?
It seems widely agreed upon that even if a President breaks a law, he can only be removed from office through the impeachment process.
However, could an incumbent president who wins a second term be ...
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Would a Trump-nominated Supreme Court justice be expected to recuse themselves from a Trump case?
As of Oct 21, 2022, the January 6 Committee has issued a subpoena to former president Trump, setting up the potential for a case against Trump to end up in front of the Supreme Court. I spent awhile ...
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Is there a particular circumstance where the U.S. president can be tried for declaring war against another country?
Is there a particular circumstance where the U.S. president can be tried for declaring war against another country? What are the criteria for the president to be tried for declaring war? Is there even ...
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Can a former United States president be criminally prosecuted for acts committed when he was president?
Just after voting to acquit Trump, GOP senate leader Mitch McConnel said:
We have a criminal justice system in this country. We have civil litigation. And former presidents are not immune from being ...
CommunityBot
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If Trump can be impeached after leaving office, why couldn't Nixon?
I know that this was essentially already asked here, but the responses to that question only seem to say "You can't be impeached after leaving office," and we now know that that is ...
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Do US presidential pardons include the cancellation of financial punishments?
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/20/anthony-levandowski-pardoned-after-stealing-trade-secrets-from-google.html says:
Anthony Levandowski pardoned after stealing trade secrets from Google
In August, ...
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Can the President of the US pardon everyone?
Can the President of the United States pardon everyone? For example, let's say a criminal organisation is committing crimes, after awhile they get raided by the police, everyone gets arrested and ...
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How is it legal for the US President's name to appear on aid checks?
Apparently, (soon-former) US President Donald Trump's name appeared on the stimulus checks sent out last year.
I guess this is a late question to ask, but - how can this be legal? It makes it appears ...
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Does Trump's pardon of the Blackwater mercenaries violate international law?
President Trump recently pardoned Nicholas Slatten, Paul Slough, Evan Liberty and Dustin Heard, four Blackwater mercenaries convicted in 2014 of killing civilians in Iraq back in 2007.
The United ...
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POTUS term limit (hypothetical)
It is frequently said that the current term limit for a US President is 10 years, consisting of inheriting the presidency for a 2 year caretaker term, then elected twice for 8 years, not necessarily ...
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Is recent diplomatic service abroad an impediment to becoming president of the United States?
Here is Article II, Section 1, Clause 5 of the Constitution of the United States:
No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this ...
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Can a person who has been pardoned still be held liable for the same offense in a civil court?
This answer indicates that accepting, for example, a presidential pardon, is considered an admission of guilt.
If a person were to accept such a pardon, can they then still be held liable in a civil ...
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Can the President of the United States pardon proactively?
President Trump's administration has just formally started the transition process. He is now officially a lame-duck President. It is common for outgoing Presidents to grant pardons in this last phase ...
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Could Trump "trash" the White House?
Assume Trump willingly leaves the White House on January 20th, but acts like a bad tenant being evicted, and decides to destroy existing paintings, busts, etc. Would he be legally allowed to do this ...
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How would originalists vs living-constitutionalists assess the constitutionality of electing a female President of the United States?
This question regards the USA and its federal constitution.
Article II, Section I of the US Federal Constitution says that:
The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United
States of ...
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Can Biden force the presidential transition to start?
A number of news sources have reported that Emily Murphy of the General Services Administration has failed to sign the document that triggers the presidential transition process.
Can the Biden team ...
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What can the president legally alone do to regulate (prior and during) the presidential election?
Given that the elections are covered by state law and administered by the local governments. I think legally there is very little (with express support of Congress) that can be done except seek the ...
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Who has the final say in the choice of the electors?
In case of disputes related to the presidential election, who has the final say in the choice of the electors: state legislature, SCOTUS or the state's supreme court?
It's my understanding that the US ...
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Sworn statement from Chief of Staff on President's intent:isn't that hearsay?
Trump made two tweets (here and here) which (on a surface reading) would seem to be him ordering the complete declassification of all documents related to the Russian investigation. In response, ...
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Could Trump be charged with a criminal offense for his actions related to the COVID-19 pandemic?
Recently Carl Bernstein called Donald Trump a "homicidal President":
We are witnessing a homicidal president convening ― purposefully ― a homicidal assembly to help him get re-elected as ...
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Transfer of US Presidential power when both the President and the Vice President are incapacitated
According to Article II, section 1, clause 6 of the US Constitution, in the case of death, removal, resignation, or inability to discharge the powers of the office, both of the President and the Vice ...
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Can any lawsuit be filed by a sitting US president at the state level? [closed]
For the sake of argument, let's say that in the 2020 elections Trump lost these 19 "Much more republican" states (according to this NY Times article) that he had easily won in 2016:
...
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Can the Speaker of the House expel senators from the Hall of the House before all electoral votes have been counted?
A recent article in The Atlantic 1 goes through some rather dire hypothetical scenarios in which constitutional crises arise during the upcoming Presidential elections.
One of their scenarios ...
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Trump knowingly let thousands of people die from Corona; was that criminal? If yes, could he be charged (now or after his Presidency)?
The title says it all.
Trump told Bob Woodward that he knew in February that the coronavirus was deadly but decided to actively and consciously deceive the public and not take decisive action to ...
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What part of the U.S. code requires Donald Trump to vacate the White House if he loses in November?
President Trump has made some... remarkable and entertaining... remarks about his willingness to leave the White House if he should loose the POTUS election in November. This got me thinking. I'm not ...
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Who becomes President if no candidate for President or for Vice-President has been selected at noon, January 20th?
The Twentieth Amendment to the Constitution , Article 3, deals with the situation where no President or Vice President has qualified on January 20.
Section 3
If, at the time fixed for the beginning ...
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Can POTUS make FDA approve a drug (such as hydroxychloroquine), or make it available over the counter?
President Trump is known to have taken hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) as a prophylactic against COVID-19.
Some prominent medical scientists also came out in support of HCQ for outpatients (as opposed to ...
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