'Duh': Democratic senator takes swipe at GOP colleague during judiciary hearing
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing Tuesday about the Supreme Court's recent ruling on presidential immunity — and it came with plenty of biting comments.
Chairman Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) began the hearing by noting that a number of the witnesses quoted the line, "When the president does it, it's not illegal" — a quote from an interview former President Richard Nixon did with David Frost after he was pardoned.
Durbin claimed that though the quote came from Nixon, it could easily have been from Trump as well.
"Presidents have to be given total immunity. They have to be allowed to do their job," Trump said on Truth Social, Durbin recalled.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) commented at the top of the hearing that prosecutors still have the right and authority to pursue criminal activity by a president in certain circumstances under the High Court ruling — but Kennedy added that those prosecutors are still bound by the requirement that the case be proved "beyond a reasonable doubt."
"Duh," Durbin said, swiping at Kennedy.
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Durbin had former Justice Department official Mary McCord state that every prosecution has to present evidence to prove its case.
The Supreme Court ruling found that presidents are immune from criminal prosecution for official acts done while in office. The High Court ruling barred the use of evidence involving official acts by a president to be used in a case that involves unofficial acts.
"It significantly hamstrings the government, as Justice [Amy] Coney Barrett pointed out in her dissent," McCord said
See the full comments in the video below or at the link here.
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