Bill Maher offers Trump $1B to Resign

[Gun Nut]

On his most recent show, Bill Maher suggested that he knows over 1,000 celebrities with 1 million dollars of disposable income, who would each easily pay 1 million dollars each to Donald Trump if he were to simply resign.
Bill waved a personal check around, presumably his 1 million dollar offering, and suggested that he could easily raise 1 billion dollars as a bribe for him to just walk away, saying, "Now he can really be the Billionaire he always wished he was".

 

[Jolly_Penguin]

If done seriously, would that not violate your constitution or be a crime or something? Its a bribe, right?

 

[Keith&Co.]

If done seriously, would that not violate your constitution or be a crime or something? Its a bribe, right?

It's only a campaign violation if he doesn't report the money.
It would be blackmail if he said, "I have a billion dollars. I will give it to the Democrat Nominee unless you resign."
But a straight up transaction, money handed over for services rendered, there's nothing more American.

 

[Gun Nut]

If done seriously, would that not violate your constitution or be a crime or something? Its a bribe, right?

It's only a campaign violation if he doesn't report the money.
It would be blackmail if he said, "I have a billion dollars. I will give it to the Democrat Nominee unless you resign."
But a straight up transaction, money handed over for services rendered, there's nothing more American.

Maybe taking the 1B, turning it into 2B at a casino, and then buying back the role of president would be slightly more American.

 

[starwater]

I saw that on his show - I think it's brilliant - dangle the money.

 

[Jolly_Penguin]

If done seriously, would that not violate your constitution or be a crime or something? Its a bribe, right?

It's only a campaign violation if he doesn't report the money.
It would be blackmail if he said, "I have a billion dollars. I will give it to the Democrat Nominee unless you resign."
But a straight up transaction, money handed over for services rendered, there's nothing more American.

Really? Its considered American and a good thing for politicians to get bought off? In this case literally bought right off of the running?

 

[hurtinbuckaroo]

If done seriously, would that not violate your constitution or be a crime or something? Its a bribe, right?

No, it's not. It's not asking SCROTUS to use the powers of his office to benefit anyone (as he already does on a daily basis, mainly himself). It's just asking him to relinquish those powers and GTFO. They're "hiring him away", hopefully far, far away.

 

[hurtinbuckaroo]

It would be blackmail if he said, "I have a billion dollars. I will give it to the Democrat Nominee unless you resign."

No, it wouldn't be blackmail either. If it were, the thousands of people who promised to donate to Susan Collins' opponent (via a crowdfunding campaign) if she voted for Kavanaugh should already be up on charges.

But that amount of $ would be a campaign finance violation.

 

[TSwizzle]

Excellent, Mike Pence will be in charge.

 

[hurtinbuckaroo]

Excellent, Mike Pence will be in charge.

Pence couldn't pour piss from a boot if the instructions were on the heel. He'd get nothing done, but he also wouldn't do nearly as much batcrap crazy stuff. And if he decided to run in 2020, he probably wouldn't even get the nomination.

 

[Keith&Co.]

Really? Its considered American and a good thing for politicians to get bought off? In this case literally bought right off of the running?

To resign? Sure.
To vote for/against a particular law? No.
To hire Maher as the next Secretary of State, Interior, Navy? No.
To appoint Maher's producer to the Supreme Court? No.
To change the nation's Motto to a line from a Marx Brothers Movie? Not without congressional approval.
To STOP using the power of his office by leaving his office? That's perfectly fine.

 

[Keith&Co.]

It would be blackmail if he said, "I have a billion dollars. I will give it to the Democrat Nominee unless you resign."

No, it wouldn't be blackmail either. If it were, the thousands of people who promised to donate to Susan Collins' opponent (via a crowdfunding campaign) if she voted for Kavanaugh should already be up on charges.
.

I think it qualifies as blackmail. Do what we want or we will do something to harm you professionally.
The fact that there are too many people for the state DA to prosecute doesn't make it legal.

 

[Gun Nut]

If done seriously, would that not violate your constitution or be a crime or something? Its a bribe, right?

It's only a campaign violation if he doesn't report the money.
It would be blackmail if he said, "I have a billion dollars. I will give it to the Democrat Nominee unless you resign."
But a straight up transaction, money handed over for services rendered, there's nothing more American.

Really? Its considered American and a good thing for politicians to get bought off? In this case literally bought right off of the running?

American... Capitalist... Western... the War Machine... Call it what you like... it's a bunch of fucking bullshit is what it is.... The NRA bought and paid for so many politicians it could start it's own country.
The transaction goes something like, "I am the CEO of a company that would make a ton more money if only we could dump our waste in public waters. I have 100 million dollars burning a hole in my pocket... if only a regulation could be dropped". "Well hello Mr. CEO, I am a politician that would make that change if only I were to get elected... but that take a lot of money... how much did you say you had to donate to my campaign"?

 

[Gun Nut]

It would be blackmail if he said, "I have a billion dollars. I will give it to the Democrat Nominee unless you resign."

No, it wouldn't be blackmail either. If it were, the thousands of people who promised to donate to Susan Collins' opponent (via a crowdfunding campaign) if she voted for Kavanaugh should already be up on charges.
.

I think it qualifies as blackmail. Do what we want or we will do something to harm you professionally.
The fact that there are too many people for the state DA to prosecute doesn't make it legal.

Isn't voting for a politician's opponent "doing harm to them professionally"? So expressing the terms under which you would vote for a candidate is blackmailing them?

 

[hurtinbuckaroo]

I think it qualifies as blackmail. Do what we want or we will do something to harm you professionally.
The fact that there are too many people for the state DA to prosecute doesn't make it legal.

Isn't voting for a politician's opponent "doing harm to them professionally"? So expressing the terms under which you would vote for a candidate is blackmailing them?

"If you push through a tax cut for rich people, and appoint conservative judges, and block immigration of brown people, I'll vote for you and donate to your campaign. If not, I'll donate to the other guy." If that's blackmail, half the country would be in prison.

 

[J842P]

If done seriously, would that not violate your constitution or be a crime or something? Its a bribe, right?

It's only a campaign violation if he doesn't report the money.
It would be blackmail if he said, "I have a billion dollars. I will give it to the Democrat Nominee unless you resign."
But a straight up transaction, money handed over for services rendered, there's nothing more American.

Really? Its considered American and a good thing for politicians to get bought off? In this case literally bought right off of the running?

Buying politicians is very American.

 

[Wiploc]

But that amount of $ would be a campaign finance violation.

It's not campaign finance. They'd be paying him not to campaign. They money would go to him, not to his campaign.

I think it qualifies as blackmail. Do what we want or we will do something to harm you professionally.
The fact that there are too many people for the state DA to prosecute doesn't make it legal.

They're offering him money, not harm. Does your employer blackmail you by giving you a paycheck every month?

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Of course, the money should be paid afterwards... and Trump didn't resign fast enough, so we can't give him the full billion. Something of a fraction instead... take it or leave it.

If done seriously, would that not violate your constitution or be a crime or something? Its a bribe, right?

You mean like run a fake university or commit wire fraud to silence a scandal story?

 

[southernhybrid]

I watched the show, but I don't think his "bribe" was meant to be taken seriously.

 

[Keith&Co.]

I think it qualifies as blackmail. Do what we want or we will do something to harm you professionally.
The fact that there are too many people for the state DA to prosecute doesn't make it legal.

They're offering him money, not harm. Does your employer blackmail you by giving you a paycheck every month?

No, no, not Maher's offer.
The other scenario, 'Vote against Kavenaugh or we give your opponent a billion.' Not just offering to give or withhold my vote, but to organize and influence a BUNCH of votes.