♪ >>> THIS WEEK MARKED AN INFLECTION POINT IN OUR NATION'S HISTORY. THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION BEING TESTED IN NEW AND DANGEROUS WAYS. ON THURSDAY FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND HIS LAWYERS WENT TO THE U.S. SUPREME COURT TO DOUBLE DOWN ON CLAIMS THAT A PRESIDENT POSSESSES SWEEPING IMMUNITY FROM CRIMINAL PROSECUTION. BASICALLY ACCORDING TO THE FORMER PRESIDENT'S LAWYERS HIS IMMUNITY IS SO ABSOLUTE THEY ARGUED, THAT EVEN ASSASSINATING A POLITICAL RIVAL COULD BE WITHIN THE OFFICIAL POWERS OF THE PRESIDENCY. >> IF THE PRESIDENT DECIDES THAT HIS RIFLE IS A CORRUPT PERSON, AND HE ORDERS THE MILITARY OR SOMEONE TO ASSASSINATE HIM, IS THAT WITHIN HIS OFFICIAL ACTS FOR WHICH HE CAN GET IMMUNITY? >> IT WOULD DEPEND ON THE HYPOTHETICAL. WE CAN SEE THAT WELL COULD BE AN OFFICIAL ACT. >> WELL COULD BE AN OFFICIAL ACT? JUST IMAGINE HOW RIDICULOUS THAT SOUNDS HERE FOR A MINUTE. BECAUSE, IF YOU APPLY TRUMP'S LAWYERS' LOGIC THEY ARE BASICALLY SAYING, THAT THE CURRENT PRESIDENT, JOE BIDEN, COULD KILL HIS POLITICAL OPPONENT. I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE SOMEONE LIKE DONALD TRUMP, WHO HE BELIEVES POSSESSES A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER TO OUR DEMOCRACY? AND, THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE CONSIDERED AN OFFICIAL ACT IMMUNE FROM PROSECUTION. IT'S INSANE. WHILE TRUMP IS ASKING THE SUPREME COURT TO PUT THE PRESIDENCY ABOVE CRIMINAL LAW, THE GOP PRESUMPTIVE NOMINEE IS PURSUING AN EVEN BROADER AUTHORITARIAN AGENDA BEHIND THE SCENES. SHOULD HE WIN A SECOND TERM TRUMP AND HIS ALLIES ARE LAYING THE GROUNDWORK TO ELIMINATE INTERNAL CHECKS AND BALANCES ON THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH. A SYSTEM LAID OUT BY THE FOUNDERS IN OUR CONSTITUTION, AND INSTEAD, CENTRALIZE EVEN MORE POWER IN THE PRESIDENCY. SO ON ONE HAND, WE HAVE THIS TOP DOWN APPROACH TO AUTHORITARIANISM, WHERE TRUMP IS PLOTTING A DICTATORSHIP THAT STARTS FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENCY ALL THE WAY DOWN. AND ON THE OTHER HAND, THIS WEEK WE SAW ANOTHER ATTACK ON OUR CONSTITUTIONAL NORMS. IN THE WAKE OF MASS ANTIWAR PALESTINIAN SOLIDARITY PROTESTS AT COLLEGE CAMPUSES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. REPUBLICANS BEGAN CALLING ON PRESIDENT BIDEN TO UNLEASH THE FULL FORCE OF THE NATIONAL GUARD ON DEMONSTRATORS. >> MY INTENTION IS TO CALL PRESIDENT BIDEN AFTER WE LEAVE HERE AND SHARE WITH HIM WHAT WE HAVE SEEN WITH OUR OWN TWO EYES AND DEMAND HE TAKE ACTION. THERE IS EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY TO BE APPROPRIATE, IF THIS IS NOT CONTAINED QUICKLY, AND IF THESE THREATS AND INTIMIDATIONS ARE NOT STOPPED THERE IS AN APPROPRIATE TIME FOR THE NATIONAL GUARD. >> THE NATIONAL GUARD IN CASE YOU DON'T KNOW IS ACTIVATED AND COMMENDED THE GOVERNORS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE STATES. HOWEVER, UNDER THE INSURRECTION ACT A PRESIDENT DOES HAVE THE POWER TO FEDERALIZE THESE FORCES. REPUBLICANS ARE CALLING ON THE PRESIDENT TO TAKE THESE EXTRAORDINARY ACTIONS DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE YET TO SEE EVIDENCE OF MASS VIOLENCE OR UNREST THAT WOULD JUSTIFY SUCH AN EXTREME MOVE. IN FACT MUCH OF WHATEVER VIOLENCE WE HAVE SEEN ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES HAS BEEN AT THE HANDS OF OVER MILITARIZED POLICE. THOSE WHO WERE CALLED IN TO HELP DISPERSE THE PROTESTS. IMAGES AND VIDEOS OF POLICE VIOLENTLY ARRESTING PEACEFUL PROTESTERS HAS FLOODED SOCIAL MEDIA. TAKE FOR EXAMPLE AT EMORY UNIVERSITY, HEAVILY ARMED OFFICERS CAN BE SEEN STANDING THERE TEASING A DEMONSTRATOR WHO WAS ALREADY HANDCUFFED AND ON THE GROUND. IN HERE, YOU CAN SEE POLICE SLAMMING ECONOMICS PROFESSOR, CAROLINE F. INTO THE CONCRETE AFTER SHE EXPRESSED CONCERN AT THE VIOLENT PROTEST OF ANOTHER PROTESTER. JUSTIFYING THE USE OF FORCE, LABELING THESE COLLEGE STUDENTS AND PROFESSORS AS PRO-HAMAS, OR EVEN TERRORISTS. AND HERE IS WHAT THESE PROTESTERS REALLY ARE. STUDENTS AND PROFESSORS USING THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS TO PROTEST THE ACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT, WHICH IS HELPING FUND WHAT THEY SAY IS ISRAEL'S GENOCIDAL WAR ON PALESTINIANS. STUDENTS WHO PAY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN TUITION TO THESE UNIVERSITIES EVERY YEAR, DEMANDING ESSAY AND HOW THAT MONEY, THEIR MONEY, IS BEING USED, ASKING FOR DIVESTMENT IN ANY BUSINESS THAT PROFITS FROM THE ONGOING WAR, AND AN END TO THAT WAR. AND THEY HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO DO SO. PUBLIC OFFICIALS IN THIS COUNTRY, DO NOT GET TO ADVOCATE FOR THE FORCEFUL SUPPRESSION OF CITIZENS JUST BECAUSE THEY DISAGREE WITH THEM, OR EVEN DISLIKE HOW THEY PROTEST. AS LYDIA WRITES IN THE NEW YORK TIMES, THESE PROTESTS HAVE SHOWED JUST HOW UNSETTLING SOME ASPECTS OF ACTIVISM CAN BE. PULGREEN WHO HAS BEEN REPORTING AT COLUMBIA DID NOTICE ANTI- SEMITISM OUTSIDE THE BOUNDS. IT DOESN'T MEAN THE PROTESTERS' ACTIONS ARE MISGUIDED. THESE SIEGEL THESE PEOPLE SEEK A WORTHY CAUSE. JUST IMAGINE HERE FOR A MOMENT, IF UNITED STATES PRESIDENT, PERHAPS SOMEONE LIKE DONALD TRUMP, BUYS INTO THIS LABEL BEING DEPEND ON THESE STUDENTS, THAT THEY ARE, IN FACT, TERRORISTS, DOES THAT MEAN THE U.S. PRESIDENT WITH HIS EXPANDED POWERS COULD USE DRONES TO ATTACK THESE STUDENTS THE WAY WE HAVE BEEN DRONING TERRORISTS ALL OVER THE WORLD? THAT MIGHT SOUND HYPERBOLIC TO YOU, BUT UNDER TRUMP'S DEFINITION OF ABSOLUTE IMMUNITY, IS ANYTHING TRULY OFF THE TABLE? SO FAR, PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS REJECTED CALLS TO INTERVENE IN THESE PROTESTS, BUT IT'S NOT LIKE THE U.S. DOES NOT HAVE A DARK HISTORY OF SENDING IN THE MILITARY TO TAMP DOWN CAMPUS PROTESTS. MAY 4th, 1970, THE OHIO GOVERNOR AT THE TIME THEN CALLED THE NATIONAL GUARD TO KENT STATE UNIVERSITY IN RESPONSE TO STUDENT PROTESTS OVER THE VIETNAM WAR. AFTER DEMONSTRATORS REFUSED TO DISPERSE, TROOPS OPENED FIRE ON THE PROTESTERS, KILLING FOUR OF THEM AND WOUNDING NINE OTHERS. HERE'S HOW ONE STUDENT DESCRIBED THE SCENE TO NBC NEWS THAT VERY DAY. >> I KNOW THEY, NEXT THING I KNOW THERE WERE SHOTS FIRING MY JUMPED BEHIND THIS CAR, SOME KID YELLED AT LIVE BULLETS. A CAR WINDOW SHATTERED. AND FINALLY IT WAS OVER. I GOT UP TO RUN AWAY, AND THE GUY SAYS MY GOD, THIS GIRL IS SHOT. SHE HAS BLOOD COMING OUT OF HER MOUTH. BEFORE, I WAS ANGRY THEY WERE HERE, THIS IS MY CAMPUS. I HAVE A RIGHT TO BE HERE. I FELT LIKE WE HAD BEEN INVADED, AND THEY WERE SORT OF PUSHING US AROUND AND EVERYTHING BUT AFTERWARDS I WAS JUST AFRAID. >> SO IN THE WAKE OF THESE LATEST PROTESTS IN THE VIOLENT RESPONSE FROM POLICE, LAUREL KRAUSE, SISTER OF 19-YEAR-OLD ALLISON KRAUSS, KILLED THE NATIONAL GUARD THAT DAY, URGED OFFICIALS NOT TO REPEAT HISTORY. "OUR INSTITUTIONS MUST LEARN FROM THESE PAST MISTAKES TO NOT USE MILITARIZED RESPONSES AGAINST UNARMED, PEACEFUL STUDENT PROTESTERS." HOWEVER, FIVE DECADES LATER IT SEEMS OUR INSTITUTIONS ARE FACING THIS UNPRECEDENTED TEST. IF WE NORMALIZE THIS KIND OF MILITARIZED RESPONSE TO PEACEFUL PROTESTERS THAT ARE LABELED AS TERRORISTS, IF WE CONTINUE TO IGNORE WHY THEY HAVE RESORTED TO PROTESTS ON CAMPUS IN THE FIRST PLACE AND OFF CAMPUS, AND IF THE POWER OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH THAT WE SAW THIS WEEK BEING TESTED SO THAT A SITTING PRESIDENT LIKE TRUMP IS IMMUNE FROM CRIMINAL WRONGDOING AND ANSWERS TO NO ONE, AS HE ARGUED AT THE SUPREME COURT, THEN WHAT
