- Okay, I have a question.

One of my concerns is because of the Supreme Court ruling where Trump really cannot get in trouble for his actions as president are when things happen like people paying people to vote, like in Wisconsin, we've been reading about that and Trump could also pardon all of those people.

What are any of the consequences?

'Cause that definitely seems like it's against the law.

- You know, this is probably one of those things where I, like I was saying earlier, I don't know, right?

So I don't know whether it's against the law, if it is, how much it would be, and I think you're right.

Trump can pardon pretty much anyone.

I do think the truth is that in particular, the pardon power is both constitutional and also it is a literal get out of jail free card for virtually anyone that the president decides that it's a get outta jail free card.

- And by the way, presidents can't, just to be clear on this, presidents can't come back and say, oh, the pardons that this other guy did I hereby get rid of those.

- No, they cannot do that.

- President's trying to do that in one or two cases.

- He's talked about it, but he cannot do that.

- [Host 2] He cannot do that.

- But I do think we just have to be honest that the pardon power is what it seems like, which is that the president can decide at any time and for any person that he wants them to not face consequences for any misdeeds that they might have done.

And the truth is, we can't do anything about that.

So the only recourse is political pressure.

And I think that we are actually in a moment when it's the greatest test of does political pressure even work anymore?

And I think that part is kind of up to us.

You know, the answer to the question of will any Republican elected person push back against Trump is only if you make them.

You vote them in and out of office.

So I think that that's kind of where people have to go next is to understand that the courts are gonna play a role in certain areas, but Trump may only otherwise be constrained by politics.

And voters are the deciding factor in politics.

They are the ones who can exert pressure upward on their representatives, who then exert pressure upward on the president of the United States.

So I think that's the only way that certain things might become out of bounds for this president.

- Basically it's on you.

- Not you personally.

- Like he withdrew the United Nations ambassador because he's afraid of losing another seat, which he's watching happen.

- He is, he is.

- [Host 2] Let's take one from the commissioner.

- Yes - Hi, Welcome to Austin.

- Thank you.

- So wanna go a little deeper on what's happening with the Associated Press, with the refusal to call the Gulf of Mexico, yes that its correct name.

That.

What is CNN also a worldwide organization going to do this fall when inevitably there will be a tropical storm or a hurricane headed to the Gulf of what.

Are you going to push back at that point?

- Are you using the AP style book for that?

- So, I don't wanna get in trouble here because I don't a hundred percent know, but I believe that we do use the AP style book as do most news organizations.

I think that was true of the Washington Post and the New York Times.

- But what's to stop him from saying, we're gonna kick CNN out of the White House now because they're following the AP on this?

- Nothing.

I mean, look, there's nothing really stopping him from doing all of those things.

But look, I will just say what I believe will be our policy.

At CNN we decide within our news organization what our editorial standards are.

We don't take direction from other countries or leaders.

It doesn't matter if it's the United States or anywhere else in the world.

We do what we need to do to protect our journalists.

But we also protect our editorial independence.

And we will do that here just as we do all over the globe where we operate.

- Love that.

And a great place to stop.

We gotta go.

We gotta get Abby to ET.

Abby Phillip, give her a hand.

Thank you.

(audience applauding)