Many months ago, candidate Trump said he could go into a crowded street, take a random life, and not lose votes. We can only assume the the also believes he would never be convicted, as a president in jail is likely beyond what even such a skillful confidence artists would endure to skim the treasures of the US. At least the White House is guided prison.
More recently, Trump and his advisors have agreed that he has full authority over the investigations of the FBI. He can direct, obstruct, or end any investigation as he pleases.
More more recently, Trump’s lawyer have argued that he cannot be indicted even for murder as long as he is president. That if he is impeached, then maybe. The keyword here is impeached, which implies that there is a rule of law that will hold him accountable. This also seems to imply that even if he is simply voted out of office, he is still immune from even murder charges.
Trump has also been adamant that he can pardon himself.
One of the perks of being an autocratic dictator is the freedom to murder or order the murder of your personal enemies. Juan Perón, Rodrigo Duterte, for example, were or are not subject to rule of law or any accountability. This is different from ordering the assassinations of enemies of the state. For instance Reagan tried to assassinate Quadafi, in the process perhaps killing his daughter, among others. That is a well known and accepted privilege of power. Obama ordered the assassination of Osama Bin Laden.
No, what I am talking about is the walking out in public and murdering individuals. Trump, under his rules, can do this impunity, and least in certain circumstances.
Not because he can pardon himself. A pardon requires at least the possibility of a conviction.
Not because the congress will not impeach him.
Not because he cannot be indicted as POTUS.
It is because he thinks he controls the FBI.
In certain circumstances the FBI is lead. Trump can go onto national property, or a Native American Reservation, and murders everyone he wants. Probably everyone and take their phones so there is no video.
He as the right, under the statements he has made, to direct that no investigation is to be made. He has the right to direct the FBI to not release any evidence, camera footage, bodies, whatever, to local authorities.
He has the right to protect his criminal activity. He has the right to ask the FBI to obstruct the investigation by destroying all evidence.
Would he do this? I don’t know, has he hidden past criminal behavior behind legal frameworks, such as NDAs? Has he expressed a desire to harm or murder people. Has he asserted that he has the right to commit crimes and then be held blameless? We know the answer to that.