Trump Says He Will Invoke the Alien and Sedition Act of 1798

[Wandering Monk]

Here are some things that Act permits the President to do. Dictator on day 1.

The president has inherent authority to repel these kinds of sudden attacks — an authority that necessarily implies the discretion to decide when an invasion or predatory incursion is underway.​

The Alien Enemies Act, Explained

This detention and deportation power poses an alarming risk of abuse and rights violations in both wartime and peacetime.

www.brennancenter.org

Here is section 2:

SEC. 2. And be it farther enacted, That if any person shall write, print, utter or publish, or shall cause or procure to be written, printed, uttered or published, or shall knowingly and willingly assist or aid in writing, printing, uttering or publishing any false, scandalous and malicious writing or writings against the government of the United States, or either house of the Congress of the United States, or the President of the United States, with intent to defame the said government, or either house of the said Congress, or the said President, or to bring them, or either of them, into contempt or disrepute; or to excite against them, or either or any of them, the hatred of the good people of the United States, or to stir up sedition within the United States, or to excite any unlawful combinations therein, for opposing or resisting any law of the United States, or any act of the President of the United States, done in pursuance of any such law, or of the powers in him vested by the constitution of the United States, or to resist, oppose, or defeat any such law or act, or to aid, encourage or abet any hostile designs of any foreign nation against United States, their people or government, then such person, being thereof convicted before any court of the United States having jurisdiction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars, and by imprisonment not exceeding two years.​

Here is the complete text of the Act:

The Alien and Sedition Acts (1798) | Constitution Center

National Constitution Center Historic Documents Library record for The Alien and Sedition Acts (1798)

constitutioncenter.org

 

[metis]

J. D. Vance was right when he said Trump is "America's Hitler".

 

[Wandering Monk]

The damnable thing is that HE ENGAGED in the acts outlined in the Act.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That if any persons shall unlawfully combine or conspire together, with intent to oppose any measure or measures of the government of the United States, which are or shall be directed by proper authority, or to impede the operation of any law of the United States, or to intimidate or prevent any person holding a place or office in or under the government of the United States, from undertaking, performing or executing his trust or duty, and if any person or persons, with intent as aforesaid, shall counsel, advise or attempt to procure any insurrection, riot, unlawful assembly, or combination, whether such conspiracy, threatening, counsel, advice, or attempt shall have the proposed effect or not, he or they shall be deemed guilty of a high misdemeanor, and on conviction, before any court of the United States having jurisdiction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars, and by imprisonment during a term not less than six months nor exceeding five years; and further, at the discretion of the court may beholden to find sureties for his good behaviour in such sum, and for such time, as the said court may direct.​

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Ah, well, America -- it was nice while it lasted.

"A republic -- if you can keep it." Let's see how prescient Franklin was. (The brevity of that response should not cause us to under-value its essential meaning: democratic republics are not merely founded upon the consent of the people, they are also absolutely dependent upon the active and informed involvement of the people for their continued good health.)

 

[Clizby Wampuscat]

Here are some things that Act permits the President to do. Dictator on day 1.

The president has inherent authority to repel these kinds of sudden attacks — an authority that necessarily implies the discretion to decide when an invasion or predatory incursion is underway.​

The Alien Enemies Act, Explained

This detention and deportation power poses an alarming risk of abuse and rights violations in both wartime and peacetime.

www.brennancenter.org

Here is section 2:

SEC. 2. And be it farther enacted, That if any person shall write, print, utter or publish, or shall cause or procure to be written, printed, uttered or published, or shall knowingly and willingly assist or aid in writing, printing, uttering or publishing any false, scandalous and malicious writing or writings against the government of the United States, or either house of the Congress of the United States, or the President of the United States, with intent to defame the said government, or either house of the said Congress, or the said President, or to bring them, or either of them, into contempt or disrepute; or to excite against them, or either or any of them, the hatred of the good people of the United States, or to stir up sedition within the United States, or to excite any unlawful combinations therein, for opposing or resisting any law of the United States, or any act of the President of the United States, done in pursuance of any such law, or of the powers in him vested by the constitution of the United States, or to resist, oppose, or defeat any such law or act, or to aid, encourage or abet any hostile designs of any foreign nation against United States, their people or government, then such person, being thereof convicted before any court of the United States having jurisdiction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars, and by imprisonment not exceeding two years.​

Here is the complete text of the Act:

The Alien and Sedition Acts (1798) | Constitution Center

National Constitution Center Historic Documents Library record for The Alien and Sedition Acts (1798)

constitutioncenter.org

He said he would use it to:

"to target and dismantle every migrant criminal network operating on American soil.”

Trump Wants To Use This 18th Century Law To Deport Undocumented Immigrants

Trump’s proposal could violate federal law, the Brennan Center for Justice suggests, but courts could still let him get away with it.

www.forbes.com

Adding the correct context of his statements that you left out.

 

[Wandering Monk]

He said he would use it to:

"to target and dismantle every migrant criminal network operating on American soil.”

Trump Wants To Use This 18th Century Law To Deport Undocumented Immigrants

Trump’s proposal could violate federal law, the Brennan Center for Justice suggests, but courts could still let him get away with it.

www.forbes.com

Adding the correct context of his statements that you left out.

You must have missed this. Given the discretionary power of the President in these cases and the SCOTUS ruling that presidents are immune for official acts, he could easily do what he says below.

“I think the bigger problem is the enemy from within,” Trump said. He added: “We have some very bad people. We have some sick people, radical left lunatics. And I think they’re the big — and it should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard, or if really necessary, by the military, because they can’t let that happen.”

Trump has repeatedly invoked the phrase “enemy from within” in recent speeches. On Saturday, he used it to refer to Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., a prominent Trump critic who oversaw the congressional investigation that led to Trump’s first impeachment. Schiff is now running for the Senate.

Loading…

www.marketwatch.com

 

[PureX]

Trump better hope he loses the election. Because if he wins and he does try this kind of stuff, it will not be allowed to stand. And he will not be allowed to remain president. It will not end well for him.

 

[Wandering Monk]

Trump better hope he loses the election. Because if he wins and he does try this kind of stuff, it will not be allowed to stand. And he will not be allowed to remain president. It will not end well for him.

Who will stop him? All he has to do is declare that anyone who opposes him is engaged in sedition under section 2 posted above.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Trump better hope he loses the election. Because if he wins and he does try this kind of stuff, it will not be allowed to stand. And he will not be allowed to remain president. It will not end well for him.

If he has a Republican Senate, what's going to stop him? There's not one of them that isn't too craven to vote to convict if the House impeaches him, and SCOTUS has seen to it that no other lawful authority can do a damned thing about it.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

He said he would use it to:

"to target and dismantle every migrant criminal network operating on American soil.”

Trump Wants To Use This 18th Century Law To Deport Undocumented Immigrants

Trump’s proposal could violate federal law, the Brennan Center for Justice suggests, but courts could still let him get away with it.

www.forbes.com

Adding the correct context of his statements that you left out.

Trump has told you who his enemies are, far too often. I suppose you missed that, though...

 

[Wandering Monk]

If you think this can't happen in America, you are wrong. It has been used twice in our history: during the War of 1812 and WWII when it was used against American citizens of Japanese descent.

 

[Valjean]

Who will stop him? All he has to do is declare that anyone who opposes him is engaged in sedition under section 2 posted above.

...and he's expressed his willingness to use the national guard or military if needed.
If rounding up the usual impediments to autocratic power -- intellectuals, artists, ethnic & religious minorities, writers, teachers, &al -- becomes problematic, he could declare martial law and mobilize everyone.

 

[Wandering Monk]

...and he's expressed his willingness to use the national guard or military if needed.
If rounding up the usual impediments to autocratic power -- intellectuals, artists, ethnic & religious minorities, writers, teachers, &al -- becomes problematic, he could declare martial law and mobilize everyone.

...voting rights organization, civil rights organizations. All 'enemies of the state.'

 

[PureX]

If he has a Republican Senate, what's going to stop him?

A heart attack. A stroke. All kinds of misfortunes might easily befall Donnie the Dictator. And we will never know if it were somehow deliberately induced, or not. Neither will his sycophants in the House and Senate ... but they will certainly be wondering. And so will Vance.

And being that they are all spineless slugs feeding at the trough of the U.S. taxpayers it's unlikely that any of them would be willing to step up and play dictator 2.0.

There's not one of them that isn't too craven to vote to convict if the House impeaches him, and SCOTUS has seen to it that no other lawful authority can do a damned thing about it.

One well-placed "accident" and they will all fold like the cowards that they are. My guess is that when they finally push this idiocy too far, that "accident" is going to happen. And when it does, the rest of them will suddenly became very obedient public servants.

But then I have a very creative mind.

 

[Wandering Monk]

He said he would use it to:

"to target and dismantle every migrant criminal network operating on American soil.”

Trump Wants To Use This 18th Century Law To Deport Undocumented Immigrants

Trump’s proposal could violate federal law, the Brennan Center for Justice suggests, but courts could still let him get away with it.

www.forbes.com

Adding the correct context of his statements that you left out.

He doubled down on it: Trump claims he 'wasn't unhinged' while doubling down on threats to 'enemy from within'

 

[Clizby Wampuscat]

You must have missed this. Given the discretionary power of the President in these cases and the SCOTUS ruling that presidents are immune for official acts, he could easily do what he says below.

“I think the bigger problem is the enemy from within,” Trump said. He added: “We have some very bad people. We have some sick people, radical left lunatics. And I think they’re the big — and it should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard, or if really necessary, by the military, because they can’t let that happen.”

Trump has repeatedly invoked the phrase “enemy from within” in recent speeches. On Saturday, he used it to refer to Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., a prominent Trump critic who oversaw the congressional investigation that led to Trump’s first impeachment. Schiff is now running for the Senate.

Loading…

www.marketwatch.com

Yes, he was talking about the immigrant gangs and criminals.

 

[Wandering Monk]

Yes, he was talking about the immigrant gangs and criminals.

Really?

“I think the bigger problem is the enemy from within,” Trump said. He added: “We have some very bad people. We have some sick people, radical left lunatics. And I think they’re the big — and it should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by National Guard, or if really necessary, by the military, because they can’t let that happen.”

Trump has repeatedly invoked the phrase “enemy from within” in recent speeches. On Saturday, he used it to refer to Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., a prominent Trump critic who oversaw the congressional investigation that led to Trump’s first impeachment. Schiff is now running for the Senate.

 

[Regiomontanus]

Here are some things that Act permits the President to do. Dictator on day 1.

The president has inherent authority to repel these kinds of sudden attacks — an authority that necessarily implies the discretion to decide when an invasion or predatory incursion is underway.​

The Alien Enemies Act, Explained

This detention and deportation power poses an alarming risk of abuse and rights violations in both wartime and peacetime.

www.brennancenter.org

Here is section 2:

SEC. 2. And be it farther enacted, That if any person shall write, print, utter or publish, or shall cause or procure to be written, printed, uttered or published, or shall knowingly and willingly assist or aid in writing, printing, uttering or publishing any false, scandalous and malicious writing or writings against the government of the United States, or either house of the Congress of the United States, or the President of the United States, with intent to defame the said government, or either house of the said Congress, or the said President, or to bring them, or either of them, into contempt or disrepute; or to excite against them, or either or any of them, the hatred of the good people of the United States, or to stir up sedition within the United States, or to excite any unlawful combinations therein, for opposing or resisting any law of the United States, or any act of the President of the United States, done in pursuance of any such law, or of the powers in him vested by the constitution of the United States, or to resist, oppose, or defeat any such law or act, or to aid, encourage or abet any hostile designs of any foreign nation against United States, their people or government, then such person, being thereof convicted before any court of the United States having jurisdiction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars, and by imprisonment not exceeding two years.​

Here is the complete text of the Act:

The Alien and Sedition Acts (1798) | Constitution Center

National Constitution Center Historic Documents Library record for The Alien and Sedition Acts (1798)

constitutioncenter.org

Being lazy, I queried ChatGPT as to when the last time someone was charged under the act. 1800, against the journalist Thomson Callender for criticizing the government. Anyway, supposedly the government let the act 'expire.' So it is still a thing? *shrug*

 

[Viker]

J. D. Vance was right when he said Trump is "America's Hitler".

I guess that would make Vance America's Himmler or Goebbels or Hess. (Can't figure out which one)

 

[Viker]

"to target and dismantle every migrant criminal network operating on American soil

And which networks would that be?