Latest / Uncensored Objection / [Podcast] The Trump-as-Vice-President Backdoor Scheme: Why It Fails

Transcript

[Podcast] The Trump-as-Vice-President Backdoor Scheme: Why It Fails · Uncensored Objection

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: So much going on in the news these days, right?
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah, absolutely.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_01: It can be tough to keep up with it all.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: Definitely feels that way sometimes, doesn't it?
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: Especially with the current political climate.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_01: Especially with Trump as the current president.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and everything that's going on around that.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, you've probably heard some talk about a potential third term.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, absolutely.
• 0:21
  SPEAKER_00: That's been making the rounds, hasn't it?
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, which is pretty eyebrow-raising.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_00: It raises a lot of questions, for sure.
• 0:27
  Yeah,
• 0:28
  and one of the things we've seen floated is this...
• 0:31
  This idea of a backdoor.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, a backdoor scheme.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: Like a way to kind of get around it.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, involving the vice presidency.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_01: To make that third term happen.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: Which, I mean, that's where things get really interesting.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah,
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_01: so we wanted to really dive into this today,
• 0:47
  and we're looking at this article from Mitch Jackson's
• 0:51
  Uncensored Objection Substack.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, Mitch Jackson...
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: He always has some really interesting takes, doesn't he?
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_01: He he really tackles this head on.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: He does.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: He gets right into the legal arguments, you know?
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_01: And whether this is even possible legally,
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: which is a question a lot of people are probably wondering about.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: Can this actually happen?
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_01: The question a lot of people are asking is,
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_01: could Trump become president again by running as vice president?
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 1:20
  And then the thought is that the winning presidential candidate
• 1:23
  would just kind of step aside.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_01: Just sort of make way for it.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: Clear a path.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: So it sounds like kind of a crazy plan if it were even possible.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 1:32
  But Mitch Jackson,
• 1:33
  he's done a really good job of breaking down the legal side of things.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_01: He really has.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_01: And that's what we're going to focus on today.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 1:40
  We want to make sure everyone understands the constitutional
• 1:42
  arguments here.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: So we can all see why this backdoor route is so improbable.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_01: So let's just jump right into it.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: Let's do it.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_01: Mitch Jackson points to the 12th Amendment.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: Right off the bat.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_01: As a major roadblock.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: It's kind of the first thing you run into.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 1:58
  So for those of us who maybe don't have,
• 2:00
  you know,
• 2:00
  all the amendments memorized.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: Which, I mean, let's be real.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: Most of us don't.
• 2:04
  What's the key part of this amendment that Jackson really
• 2:07
  focuses on here?
• 2:08
  Well,
• 2:08
  the 12th Amendment,
• 2:09
  there's this phrase in it,
• 2:10
  and it's pretty straightforward.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_01: OK.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: It says,
• 2:14
  no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of
• 2:17
  president shall be eligible
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: to that of vice president of the United States.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_01: OK.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: So right there, it seems like that's kind of game over.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_01: It's pretty clear, right?
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: It seems pretty clear.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_01: So Jackson's basing his whole argument on this one sentence.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: It's kind of the foundation of his argument.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_01: OK.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_01: So how does he connect that to Trump's situation?
• 2:37
  Well,
• 2:37
  he's saying that this amendment,
• 2:39
  it links eligibility for president and vice president.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_01: OK.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: Like they're tied together.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_01: So if you can't be one, you can't be the other.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_00: So if the Constitution says you can't be president,
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: then you automatically can't be vice president either.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_01: OK, that makes sense.
• 2:51
  But where is this whole question of Trump being ineligible for
• 2:55
  president come from?
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: Ah, good question.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: That's where the 22nd Amendment comes in.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_01: OK.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_01: The 22nd Amendment.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: That's the one about term limits.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_01: It limits how many times someone can be elected president.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: A maximum of two terms.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: Oh.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: And well, we know Trump has already served two terms.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_01: So he hits that limit.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: He's already at the max.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_01: So that's what makes him ineligible.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: The 22nd Amendment says he can't be elected president again.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, so now we're connecting the dots here.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, starting to see the whole picture.
• 3:24
  He can't be president because of the 22nd Amendment and because
• 3:26
  he's ineligible for president.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_01: The 12th Amendment says he can't be vice president either.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_00: That's the link that Jackson is making.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so it's like a double whammy.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's a pretty solid constitutional barrier.
• 3:39
  Yeah,
• 3:39
  but I'm sure people who like this backdoor idea have some
• 3:42
  counter arguments.
• 3:43
  Oh yeah,
• 3:44
  they've definitely come up with some ways to try and get around it.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_01: I bet.
• 3:48
  SPEAKER_00: Which Jackson addresses in his article.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_01: So let's get into those.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: Let's see what they've come up with.
• 3:53
  One of the things we've heard is that the 22nd Amendment only
• 3:57
  prevents someone from
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_01: being elected president more than twice.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: So they're focusing on that specific word elected.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_00: Like maybe there's a loophole there.
• 4:06
  So they're saying that maybe becoming president through
• 4:08
  succession as vice
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_01: president wouldn't technically violate that.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: Because it wouldn't be an election.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_01: What does Jackson say about that?
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: He thinks that's a very narrow reading of the amendment.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, really?
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_00: Like they're just looking at the words and not the bigger picture.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_01: OK.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: He says you have to consider the whole purpose of the Constitution.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_01: The intention behind it.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: And the 22nd Amendment,
• 4:30
  it was designed to prevent anyone from being president for more
• 4:34
  than two terms.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_01: Just too much power for one person.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_00: It's about limiting power.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_01: OK.
• 4:39
  So Jackson's saying that this whole idea of becoming VP and
• 4:42
  then stepping into the presidency.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: It's basically trying to undermine that principle.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_01: Like a sneaky way to get around it.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 4:50
  So even though it doesn't say succession in the amendment,
• 4:53
  the intention is clear.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: OK.
• 4:55
  And being elected twice makes you ineligible for future
• 4:59
  presidential terms no
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: matter how you try to get there.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_01: So no loopholes there.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: Nope.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_01: OK.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_01: What about this idea that the 12th Amendment doesn't define ineligible?
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: That's another one they bring up.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_01: So they're saying maybe it's open to interpretation.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: Like maybe ineligible doesn't always mean the same thing.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_01: OK.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: But Jackson disagrees with that, too.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_01: OK.
• 5:21
  He says that constitutional ineligibility,
• 5:24
  it's a pretty well-established concept.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_01: OK.
• 5:26
  It means you're not allowed to hold a particular office because
• 5:30
  of something in the Constitution.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: It's not some vague idea.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_01: OK.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_01: So what are some examples of that?
• 5:35
  Well,
• 5:36
  like the age requirement for president,
• 5:38
  you have to be at least 35.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: Or you have to be a natural born citizen.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: And there's the residency requirement.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_01: OK.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_01: So those are all things that could make someone ineligible.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 5:47
  And Jackson's saying that term limits are just another form of ineligibility.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_01: OK.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_01: Like it's in the same category as those other requirements.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 5:54
  So if you've been elected twice,
• 5:55
  you're constitutionally ineligible for another term.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_01: And that means you can't be vice president either.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_00: That's right.
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: Because of that link in the 12th Amendment.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_01: OK.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_01: I think I'm getting it now.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_01: So what about this last argument we've heard?
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_00: Lay it on me.
• 6:10
  SPEAKER_01: It's that Trump wouldn't technically be elected president a third time.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, right.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: They're saying he'd just be succeeding to the office.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, if the elected president steps down.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, like it's technicality.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_01: How does Jackson respond to that?
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: Well, he brings up a really important legal principle here.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 6:28
  He says the courts don't let you do indirectly what the
• 6:32
  Constitution prohibits directly.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_01: No, interesting.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: So basically he's saying that this whole VP resignation scenario,
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_00: it's just a way to try and get around the 22nd Amendment.
• 6:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, like a trick.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly, like they're trying to be sneaky about it.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, so the courts would probably see right through that.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, Jackson thinks so.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: They'd see it as an attempt to bypass the Constitution.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_01: And they wouldn't allow that.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_00: Probably not.
• 6:56
  Okay,
• 6:56
  so what's Jackson's overall conclusion about this whole Trump
• 7:01
  is VP backdoor scheme?
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_00: He doesn't think it has any chance of working.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_01: Really?
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: He calls it a flimsy fantasy.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_00: Wow.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, he thinks it's a complete non-starter.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_00: He says the Constitution just doesn't allow it.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_01: So those amendments really do shut it down.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: They make it pretty clear.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_01: Okay,
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_01: so the bottom line is that based on Jackson's analysis,
• 7:22
  there's no way for Trump to get a third term through this vice
• 7:26
  president route.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_00: It's just not a viable option.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_01: It's not a loophole.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_00: Nope, it's a dead end.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, good to know.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's important to be aware of these things.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_01: So what's the main takeaway here for our listeners?
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: I'd say the big thing is that the Constitution...
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_00: It has these safeguards in place.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: And they're there for a reason.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 7:42
  Mitch Jackson's analysis,
• 7:44
  it shows us that those safeguards,
• 7:46
  they're pretty strong.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, they really are.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_00: And they're likely to prevent this kind of scenario from happening.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_01: OK.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: So it's not just about this specific situation with Trump.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_00: It's about understanding how our system works.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_01: And knowing our rights.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_01: This has been really helpful.
• 8:01
  I think it's given us all a much clearer understanding of the
• 8:04
  legal arguments here.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_00: I hope so.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_01: And it really shows how important it is to know our Constitution.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: For sure.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: It's the foundation of our country.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_01: And it's there to protect us.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_01: So if you're interested in this kind of legal analysis.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: If you want to learn more about this stuff.
• 8:20
  We highly recommend checking out Mitch Jackson's uncensored
• 8:23
  objection sub stack.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, he's got some great insights.
• 8:27
  Yeah,
• 8:27
  he breaks down all these complex legal issues in a way that's
• 8:30
  easy to understand.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: And he's always up in the latest news.
• 8:33
  Yeah,
• 8:34
  so definitely head over there and subscribe so you don't miss
• 8:36
  any of his future posts.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 8:39
  And don't forget to share his work with anyone you think would
• 8:42
  find it valuable.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, spread the knowledge.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_00: And if you really appreciate what he's doing.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, if you want to support his work.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_00: Consider gifting a subscription to a friend or family member.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_01: That's a great idea.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: It's a really thoughtful gift.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it is.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_01: Especially for people who are interested in politics and current events.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_01: It's a way to help them stay informed.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and to support independent analysis.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_01: Which is so important these days.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_00: It really is.
• 9:07
  So yeah,
• 9:08
  head over to Mitch Jackson's Uncensored Objections Substack and
• 9:11
  check it out.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you won't regret it.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_01: It's a great resource.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: It really is.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_01: And it's a great way to stay engaged with what's going on.
• 9:19
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_01: And to understand the legal side of things.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_00: Because that's really important.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_01: It is.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_01: It affects all of us.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_01: So stay informed.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, stay informed and think critically about what you're hearing.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_00: And don't be afraid to ask questions.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_01: That's how we learn.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_00: That's right.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_01: And that's how we make sure our system works the way it's supposed to.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_00: This whole conversation, it really makes you think.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_01: It does, doesn't it?
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 9:42
  About all the different ways people might try to interpret the Constitution.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_01: There are always new interpretations coming up.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_00: And it makes you wonder what other ideas might be out there.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_00: I know, right?
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: What are they going to think of next?
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_01: And in the end, it all comes down to those core principles, you know.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_00: The foundation of our system.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_01: The things that really matter.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_00: The things that are supposed to guide us.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_01: So it's definitely something to keep in mind.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_00: It's an ongoing conversation.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_01: And we all need to be a part of it.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_00: So stay engaged, everyone.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_01: Stay engaged and keep learning.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: That's the key.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_01: It is.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_00: All right, everyone.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for joining us.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_01: And we'll see you next time.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_00: Take care.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_01: Bye.