1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

The Supreme Court’s July 2024 ruling in Donald J. Trump v. United States determined that the president cannot be prosecuted for crimes committed while exercising official duties. Official duties as defined solely by the Executive. At the time, experts warned that the decision would “give the commander-in-chief license to commit murder,” but a majority of the court waved those concerns away. But now the president has ordered killings in international waters. Eleven Venezuelan nationals the administration claims were drug smugglers are dead. Bombed unilaterally by the US. With made-for-TV video. Not as a result of any form of due process to determine if the justification is true or not, but by executive fiat. “Killing cartel members who poison our fellow citizens is the highest and best use of our military,” VP JD Vance posted to X. In response, a poster (rightfully so) said killing the citizens of another nation who are civilians without any due process is called a war crime. Vance retorted, “I don’t give a shit what you call it.” The defense secretary boasted about it on television. And the president will face no consequences. Because his political party is fine with it. A president can kill, and there is no recourse. There’s a name for that, and it’s not democracy.