Can Donald Trump be arrested for inciting to riot?

[kentuck]

Could he be arrested for anything?

He has said that he thinks Putin is a great leader. He has called our military a "disgrace". He has told Putin, the former head of the Russian KGB, that he should hack his political opponent's emails.

He has said that he would put Hillary in jail. (As if his tiny little hands are squeaky clean) He has paid no income taxes for a long time. He has used his Foundation like a slush fund. He has paid Attorney Generals in some states to not bring forth lawsuits against Trump University. It was a scam.

His comments and his actions are against the laws of this country.

Is there nothing he could be arrested for? Do we have to wait until after the election to arrest him?

Is this something the Obama Justice Department should be considering?

Perhaps a simple cease and desist order would be enough until after the election?

Could we get a bi-partisan consensus to clean up this mess??

[LeftyMom]

1. I'm missing which one of those things is a riot,

let alone incitement.

The political process needs a wide latitude for free speech. Even really irresponsible, stupid, hateful speech to absolute morons.

It's really better than the alternative.

[kentuck]

3. We should have known that threats of violence were coming...

...when people were threatened, shoved, and hit by some Trump supporters. It was a sign of things to come.

I agree that the political process needs a wide latitude for free speech, but there are limits to free speech, just as there are with other parts of the Bill of Rights.

What is the "alternative" you are thinking of?

[LeftyMom]

7. Any system where political speech is subject to regulation

beyond the barest minimum necessary for safety.

There are limits to free speech. They are minimal. They are ideally rarely enforced. Our system is built to err on the side of speech, and that's arguably the best thing the American model has to offer.

[ailsagirl]

2. I hope the authorities are keeping a close watch on this

I can't believe they're either unaware of it or not concerned

[lovemydog]

4. Political speech is given very wide latitude

under the first amendment protections of free speech.

If you look at the case of the Chicago 7, the defendants (Abbie Hoffman, Bobbie Seale, Jerry Rubin et al.) were arrested & tried for (among other things) attempting to incite a riot. Most or all of the charges relating to inciting the Chicago riots of 1968 were dropped.

Arrests on charges of inciting a riot are rare. Convictions are rarer still.

Searching for things upon which to arrest someone whose speech you don't like isn't a smart or ethical way to prosecute someone. As soon as you do so, your enemies can and will also attempt to do so, for equally bogus reasons.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. No.

You can't arrest people for saying awful, stupid, ridiculous things. I wouldn't want that to change - that's exactly what Trump would want. "Incitement" requires very specific actions or words directed at a very specific situation. The notion that Trump should be arrested after the election is just as offensive as his desire to arrest Hillary.

[world wide wally]

15. What about shooting her?

[Warren DeMontague]

6. I think the most questionable stuff, legally, is anything that sounds like making a threat

against his opponent, which he also has done.

But as others have noted, political speech is given wide latitude by the 1st Amendment.

[SCantiGOP]

8. No

That's not how our country works.

[hardluck]

9. Incite what riot?

Cease and desist from what?

All of those statements show how unqualified for office he is, but they are political speech and are protected. Moreover, why would you want to prosecute on such a flimsy basis and open such a can of worms? He's going down in flames and is taking the whole RNC with him. Just relax, enjoy his destruction, and it will all be over in a few weeks.

[jberryhill]

10. No

[davidn3600]

11. What law has he broke?

As of right now, there is no riot. There is no rebellion. The DOJ can't touch these people if they aren't doing anything but talking. There is a first amendment in this country. They have a right to disagree with the government all they want.

There is no bipartisan solution. The RNC has lost control of their party. The racism and sexism is going to be mainstreamed in the coming years. What exactly do you want the RNC to do about it? They are being overrun right now. Paul Ryan and John McCain are being booed. The party isn't going to listen to them. The media has zero credibility with them either. Just the other day thousands of Trump supporters were booing and chanting against the media as reporters were entering the rally. So they aren't to listen to CNN anymore.

Your solution is to put Trump in jail and make a martyr out of him? What's that going to solve? These people hate the government. They hate the left. You think putting people into jail is going to change their minds?

[oberliner]

12. Lock him up?

Should people starting chanting that at HRC rallies?

[Peaches999]

13. No, it's called free speech (even though Trump wants to jail Hillary)

I wouldn't want to live in a country where a presidential candidate could be arrested for speech.

(I do support him being investigated for sexual assault and his supporters being arrested for assault.)

[world wide wally]

14. Breaking the limit on assholeness maybe?

Whatever they come up with, I imagine it will be after the election. They don't want to make a martyr out of this creep

[onenote]

16. no

He can't be arrested for inciting a riot because he hasn't done that.
There is nothing else he's done that would warrant arresting him.
No the Obama Justice Dept. shouldn't be considering.
No there is no basis for a cease and desist order.
No there will be no bipartisan consensus.

Legally and politically the idea of arresting Trump now or after the election is basically a dumb idea.