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Trump anoints himself as “chief law enforcement officer” in brag to media

Trump anoints himself as “chief law enforcement officer” in brag to media

Donald Trump has decided to commute the sentence of former Illinois Governor Rod R. Blagojevich, a Democrat who was sentenced for corruption over a scheme to collect bribes in return for powerful political appointments, including the Senate seat that Barack Obama vacated when he left to serve in the White House.

It’s an odd move for a president whose entire defense for attempting to coerce a foreign country into investigating Joe Biden and his son Hunter was that he cares about rooting out corruption, but becomes at least partially explainable once one realizes that Blagojevich previously appeared on The Celebrity Apprentice.

Speaking to reporters earlier today at Joint Base Andrews, Trump explained his decision. He said that Blagojevich has served eight years already and that that is a “long time,” because apparently this lifelong crook thinks he knows better than our judicial system when it comes to handing down sentences of appropriate length.

Add your name to tell the ABA: Disbar William Barr for abusing the Justice Department to abet Trump’s corruption!

Trump went on to say that while he “doesn’t know him very well” and only met him a couple of times, including during his Apprentice appearances, he watched Blagojevich’s “wife on television.” The latter point is so incredibly Trumpian as to be almost parody. This man forms his opinions on just about everything in the world based on what he sees on TV, usually on Fox News. For him to implicitly point this out in his justification for releasing a criminal from prison early is downright laughable.

After his little preamble, Trump pivoted to discussing Blagojevich’s prosecution at which point his ulterior motive for the commutation was made clear.

“It was a prosecution by the same people, Comey, Fitzpatrick, the same group,” said Trump, invoking the ex-FBI Director who has served as a perennial bugaboo for the MAGA movement for years now. By implying that Blagojevich’s sentence was a miscarriage of justice by Comey and other members of the Justice Department, Trump is also implying that the myriad investigations that have been launched into him and his dealings are equally illegitimate. Like everything he does, this move benefits him personally.

He rounded up his little explanatory rant by stating that he is “the chief law enforcement officer of the country,” a terrifying thought when one considers how consistently and gleefully he has flaunted his own lawlessness. While the Constitution entrusts the Executive Branch with enforcing and upholding the law and the president is the head of that branch, the Attorney General is technically the country’s chief law enforcement officer. Again, we find Donald Trump showcasing a profound lack of knowledge about the country he leads.

Furthermore, it’s been clear for some time now that he cannot be trusted with the pardon and commutation powers of the presidency and that the longer he stays in power the more eroded down to the bone the rule of law becomes. This decision serves as yet another stark reminder of that disturbing fact.

Staff Report
This is a staff report from former Occupy Democrats Editor in Chief Colin Taylor or contributor Rob Haffney.

© 2022 Occupy Democrats. All Rights Reserved.

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