NYPD: Actually, We Would Arrest Trump if He Shot Someone on Fifth Avenue
October 28th 2019
Donald Trump - Caricature (DonkeyHotey)
By Oliver Willis
The New York Police Department said Thursday that Donald Trump would be arrested if he shot someone on Fifth Avenue, contradicting an argument made in federal court earlier this week by Trump’s lawyer.
In a press conference, NYPD First Deputy Commissioner Benjamin Tucker was asked to respond to the claim from Trump attorney William S. Consovoy.
“President Trump’s lawyer said yesterday that if he were to shoot someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue, he couldn’t be arrested or investigated,” a reporter stated. “I was wondering, if he were to shoot someone on Fifth Avenue, would you arrest him?”
“We would,” Tucker answered. “It’s as simple as that.”
“If anybody shoots someone, they get arrested, I don’t care if it’s the president of the United States or anybody else,” replied New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio, who was also in attendance. “You shoot someone, you should get arrested and we would arrest him.”
The assertion of Trump’s purported immunity came up during a hearing in federal appeals court on Wednesday, where Trump is fighting a subpoena issued by the Manhattan district attorney for his tax returns.
Consovoy told Judge Denny Chin that Trump cannot be investigated, let alone indicted, for any crime while in office — even for a murder.
“Nothing could be done, that’s your position?” Chin asked.
“That is correct,” Consovoy replied.
The scenario is based on a statement Trump made during the 2016 campaign.
“I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters,” Trump bragged at one of his rallies.
Despite Trump’s bravado, later echoed by his lawyer, the NYPD has made clear it does not consider him above the law.
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