Trump's purportedly treating the Constitution like a spittoon.
Former Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal appearing on "The Last Word" with Ali Velshi on Friday hammered the 45th president's theory that as POTUS he can do anything he wants and remain untouchable.
"We have had 46 presidents — no one has claimed absolute immunity from the criminal law," Katyal said. "And now Donald Trump comes along and does so."
He continued:
"He is spitting on our Constitution. He is spitting on our rule of law. And I cannot think of a more disqualifying statement from a candidate for the high office..."
ALSO READ: 'Chaos': Fired Highland Park rec director details trauma of July 4 mass shooting
Katyal was reacting to how former President Donald Trump, at 2 a.m. on Thursday, posted on Truth Social an all-caps screed demanding that he's deserving of "total immunity" from criminal prosecution even if he "crossed the line" by committing crimes.
"A PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES MUST HAVE FULL IMMUNITY, WITHOUT WHICH IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIM/HER TO PROPERLY FUNCTION," the former president wrote. "ANY MISTAKE, EVEN IF WELL INTENDED, WOULD BE MET WITH ALMOST CERTAIN INDICTMENT BY THE OPPOSING PARTY AT TERM END. EVEN EVENTS THAT 'CROSS THE LINE' MUST FALL UNDER TOTAL IMMUNITY, OR IT WILL BE YEARS OF TRAUMA TRYING TO DETERMINE GOOD FROM BAD. THERE MUST BE CERTAINTY."
But Katyal is clearly calling the attempt bush league.
"The argument is just not weird it's constitutionally absurd and totally ahistorical," he said. "One of the great traditions that America has had, and what we fought the Revolution about, is the idea that the king can do wrong, that he doesn't have immunity, that you can go after the highest leaders of our government.
"Our entire Constitution is structured around that principle."
