# Sessions is out **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 7, 2018, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sessions-is-out/824150 "2018-11-07T19:51:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sessions-is-out/824150/61 "2018-11-07T23:20:31Z")
> [@Clawdio](#): > > Classic Trump misdirection. Everyone’s talking about how he lost the house and his guy in Montana lost? Give 'em some other bulllshit to reset the news cycle! It’s not a misdirection, as you label it. This is the master plan. The rule of law in America…is about to end. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sessions-is-out/824150/62 "2018-11-07T23:22:33Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > It’s not a misdirection, as you label it. > > This is the master plan. > > The rule of law in America…is about to end. Fraid not. The next Attorney General will have more autonomy. Even Trump wouldn’t risk firing two AG’s with a Democrat House in power. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sessions-is-out/824150/63 "2018-11-07T23:23:09Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > LOL > > Sessions threw away a secure Senate seat for this bullshit with Trump? > > I guess \*there’s a sucker is born every minute. > > The good news is state marijuana laws are much more secure. That putz Sessions had been threatening a Fed crackdown. I hope the door doesn’t hit him on the way out. Good riddance. > > \*P. T. Barnum You laugh, but consider the example. Jess Sessions is to Donald Trump what Ernst Rohm was to Adolf Hitler. Once a loyalist, ultimately facing the firing squad. There is no ideology with authoritarians -\*\* there is no ideology\*\*. Remember that. Remember that what you think you’re getting from a Trump administration today might get you locked up if you protest the results tomorrow. Authoritarians exist for themselves. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sessions-is-out/824150/64 "2018-11-07T23:24:15Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Fraid not. The next Attorney General will have more autonomy. Even Trump wouldn’t risk firing two AG’s with a Democrat House in power. AHAHAHAHAHAHHAH!!! LMMFAO!!! Keep whistling in the dark, mate. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sessions-is-out/824150/65 "2018-11-07T23:25:37Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Fraid not. The next Attorney General will have more autonomy. Even Trump wouldn’t risk firing two AG’s with a Democrat House in power. Explain to me this: how the fuck does Democratic control of the HOUSE in any way impact what Trump does in terms of replacing fired cabinet members??? It’s the fucking SENATE that approves or disapproves of appointees. #takeacivicsclass ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sessions-is-out/824150/66 "2018-11-07T23:25:45Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Graham would not be the first senator to give up a safe seat for a cabinet job. Nice. 🆒 > [@aceplace57](#): > > Fraid not. The next Attorney General will have more autonomy. Even Trump wouldn’t risk firing two AG’s with a Democrat House in power. I’m not so sure about either statement. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sessions-is-out/824150/67 "2018-11-07T23:28:01Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Nice. 🆒 > > I’m not so sure about either statement. Of course you’re not sure because the House has NOTHING to do with appointees. NM ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sessions-is-out/824150/68 "2018-11-07T23:42:51Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > Explain to me this: how the fuck does Democratic control of the HOUSE in any way impact what Trump does in terms of replacing fired cabinet members??? It’s the fucking SENATE that approves or disapproves of appointees. > > #takeacivicsclass I’m certainly aware the Senate approves appointments. The House can open multiple hearings. Trump has a lot of dirty stuff that won’t hold up under intense scrutiny. His tax returns alone may sink him. Then there’s all his business dealings and conflicts with his role as President. Firing another AG would just throw more fuel on the fire and may lead to impeachment. I think even the Republicans would get on board if Trump goes too far. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sessions-is-out/824150/69 "2018-11-07T23:45:55Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Firing another AG would just throw more fuel on the fire and may lead to impeachment. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHH!!! Right.:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sessions-is-out/824150/70 "2018-11-07T23:57:09Z")
It ultimately depends on how much dirt there is to find, and how much of it points to Trump’s kids. The House can do their investigation in the open. Putting every piece of damning evidence into the public record. The State of New York can pursue criminal fraud cases against his kids that he can’t pardon. Even if this shuts down Mueller, everything he’s found so far can be released. Nixon fired a bunch of the justice department too. Didn’t save him. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sessions-is-out/824150/71 "2018-11-07T23:59:39Z")
> [@xenophon41](#): > > …I think we could look a bit beyond the titular and explicit goals of an investigation & impeachment process. > …A Democratic House would indeed be crazy to think they could successfully remove Trump from office in a Senate trial. But that doesn’t make an impeachment politically foolish. In fact, one way of viewing that process is that the more intractable a Republican Senate in the face of relentlessly presented evidence against Trump and the most prominent members of his family and his administration and (even if only by association) his Party, the better electoral results for the Dems in 2020 and beyond. > … We got one good measure of the size of the ‘support Trump no matter what’ contingent, today: in the US House Exit Poll (updated today), this question was asked: > [@](#): > > _ **How important is it that more racial and ethnic minorities be elected to public office?** _ [https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2018-election/midterms](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2018-election/midterms) 72% said it’s “important” and 24% said it’s “not important.” (These are percentages not of the adult US population, but of actual voters–which are roughly half of adult Americans.) Of course there are other measures, but this is a handy one. In 2016, Trump got around half the votes. So if only 24% of voters (yesterday) said they support the rather Trumpian view (that minorities-in-office isn’t important), then that leaves another 24-25% or so of actual voters-for-Trump in 2016 who, in 2018, diverged from the Trumpian view of things, and said that it _was_ important to have diversity in government.\* In other words, of independents and Republicans who did vote for Trump in 2016, quite a large proportion—approaching half—will have said it’s important that more racial and ethnic minorities be elected to public office. They’re not hard-core Trump supporters, even though they did vote for him in 2016. And those are the people who would be less likely to support Trump, were he to be impeached. Those are the people who would pay attention to information about his violations (of criminal statutes and of Constitutional boundaries) and would be bothered by them. So that would suggest that proceeding to publicize Mueller findings and then to impeachment might be worth doing. \*This is all rough-and-ready, of course. It fails to be purely apples-to-apples. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sessions-is-out/824150/72 "2018-11-08T00:02:24Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > LOL > > …The good news is state marijuana laws are much more secure. … Well fuckin’-a that’s good news! Were the laws at risk LOL? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sessions-is-out/824150/73 "2018-11-08T00:04:46Z")
Of course they were. Federal law supersedes state law every time. Obama’s directive to the Justice Dept expired long ago. The Feds can shut down state marijuana laws anytime the AG gives the order. Raids on the dispensaries could happen within days. Sessions hates marijuana and it was only a matter of time. Trump could intervene but there’s no guarantee. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sessions-is-out/824150/74 "2018-11-08T00:12:32Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > It ultimately depends on how much dirt there is to find, and how much of it points to Trump’s kids. > > The House can do their investigation in the open. Putting every piece of damning evidence into the public record. The State of New York can pursue criminal fraud cases against his kids that he can’t pardon. Even if this shuts down Mueller, everything he’s found so far can be released. > > Nixon fired a bunch of the justice department too. Didn’t save him. You’re so wrong. I told you all this a long damn time ago. The president doesn’t get impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors. He gets impeached when the country’s in a bad mood. With near full employment, the president could rape a 5 year old girl, and it wouldn’t matter. The Evangelicals would probably scour the Bible to find examples of Biblical molestation to defend him. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sessions-is-out/824150/75 "2018-11-08T00:19:04Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > The president doesn’t get impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors. He gets impeached when the country’s in a bad mood. With near full employment, the president could rape a 5 year old girl, and it wouldn’t matter. The Evangelicals would probably scour the Bible to find examples of Biblical molestation to defend him. Remember the Trump tariffs. They still have the potential to deep-six the US economy. Not that we should be rooting for that. Instead, I’m pulling for a well-documented scandal so distasteful that all but the most deplorable will say “enough.” Sure, the bar is pretty high (or low). But all it would take would be a black beauty-pageant contestant coming forward with incontrovertible proof that Trump impregnated her (proof such as a child with both their DNA), combined with tapes of him urging her to have an abortion. Public airing of his tax returns wouldn’t hurt, either–the proof that he’s a business dunce is right there, without a doubt. The black baby would remove some support and the Idiot-Entrepreneur-Bailed-Out-By-Oligarchs image would remove more. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sessions-is-out/824150/76 "2018-11-08T00:26:27Z")
[Kris Kobach is now available to be the next Attorney General](https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/the-buzz/article221309750.html). And Trump would love to have him: > [@](#): > > “I hated that he ran because I would have loved to have brought him into my administration,” Trump told a crowd in Topeka last month. > > “I hope he loses because I want him so badly. But don’t do that.” ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sessions-is-out/824150/77 "2018-11-08T00:26:53Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > The president doesn’t get impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors. He gets impeached when the country’s in a bad mood. With near full employment, the president could rape a 5 year old girl, and it wouldn’t matter. The Evangelicals would probably scour the Bible to find examples of Biblical molestation to defend him. This I believe without question. The hypocrisy of Christian evangelicals has been in ascendance since the beginning of Trump’s presidential campaign. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sessions-is-out/824150/78 "2018-11-08T00:37:49Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > …Trump has a lot of dirty stuff that won’t hold up under intense scrutiny. His tax returns alone may sink him. Then there’s all his business dealings and conflicts with his role as President… I think even the Republicans would get on board if Trump goes too far. > [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > …It ultimately depends on how much dirt there is to find, and how much of it points to Trump’s kids… > [@Sherrerd](#): > > …Public airing of his tax returns wouldn’t hurt, either–the proof that he’s a business dunce is right there, without a doubt. The black baby would remove some support and the Idiot-Entrepreneur-Bailed-Out-By-Oligarchs image would remove more… I appreciate y’all’s optimism. But I’m _(gulp)_ with **asahi** here. Yes, Trump’s an idiot. Yes, he’s a boor. Yes, he’s a hateful narcissist enabling a culture of hateful narcissism. _It doesn’t matter._ Too many Americans are ready for authoritarianism, or at least willing to accept it when offered. “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody” was not a brag, it was a _promise_. I’m increasingly convinced that there is nothing, literally _nothing_ that will result in his impeachment and removal from office. I’m increasingly convinced that there is nothing that will result in his approval numbers dropping below 35%. I’m increasingly convinced that this administration will be cited in history books for literal centuries as the end of the First American Experiment. At this point I’m only wondering if we’ll see any formal secessions before I die. . ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sessions-is-out/824150/79 "2018-11-08T01:03:25Z")
Since two people have responded to my post pointing out that Trump won’t be impeached and removed from office, I should say that I think that’s pretty unlikely too. I think that, like Nixon, he could be pressured to resign. And the pressure won’t be that he’ll lose an impeachment vote. It (might plausibly) be that he doesn’t want to see Donald Jr. and Ivanka locked up in a New York prison for a decade. As far as I know, this isn’t the sort of pressure that’s come into play before, so it’s hard to say. Were any other Presidents’ kids really obviously guilty of felonies? I also think that a general airing of his criminal behavior will continue to turn out people to vote against him in 2 years. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sessions-is-out/824150/80 "2018-11-08T01:30:31Z")
I remember arguing that Nixon was ‘impeached’ (okay forced from office, even though not technically impeached) not because of high crimes and misdemeanors, but because the country was angry over stagflation and the Vietnam war. My point was, impeachment is a political process, not a legal one. I was right about that, too. It’s definitely possible that Donald Trump gets forced from office between election cycles, but that will only happen if the economy collapses or if there’s widespread unrest and people decide that’s not in their best interests. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sessions-is-out/824150.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sessions-is-out/824150.md?page=5)