An article published by the reputable website Daily World Update is circulating a story Trump supporters are loving to read. The article claims that a little-known law from the Nixon era gives the Supreme Court the ability to extend the term of a President acquitted by the Senate after being impeached by the House:
“There’s a little-known precedent on the books that Democrats are trying desperately to have removed before the impeachment trial of President Trump begins. In 1974, as Nixon faced impeachment, the Republican Congress passed a law that would allow his term to be extended if he was acquitted.
The law was specific to Nixon, and was set to expire in 5 years, but Nixon resigned. The removal of the law, therefore, never happened.
According to legal analyst and constitutional scholar, Art Tubolls, the fact that the law exists at all sets a precedent:
“The law is very clear. An acquittal, which they were sure they would get until all the facts came to light, would have meant that Nixon’s term was stolen from him, and that three years or less could be added to his time in office without causing a constitutional crisis.
“Because of how Nixon ended his own career and was pardoned, the law was never struck down or removed, meaning it’s still precedent, and only the Supreme Court can take it away.
“Our sources say it would be a 5-4 vote to allow President Trump to go on for another three years, making the next Presidential election due in 2023. Trump would still be eligible to run.
“That may sound extreme and unconstitutional, but only the SCOTUS can determine that, and they are solidly behind Trump, no matter what crimes he’s committed. The office is better with him in it, and that’s all they’re supposed to care about.“”
That would be great, if it were true. So…is it? The answer, fortunately, is a resounding “YES!”
According to our research, the Supreme Court can absolutely invoke this 1975 law and extend Trump’s term. The catch is, he has to be acquitted by a 2/3rds majority vote. According to our source:
“In order to make this happen, Trump would need 72 Senators to side with him, a number he would likely get if acquitted, as those Democrat Senators from red states would want to save their seats in 2020.”
That would more than likely cause the Democrat party to implode and lose any chance of ever winning another election.
Hopefully, it works out better for Trump than it did for Nixon.
