A federal appeals court in Washington, DC has rejected Donald Trump’s claim to absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions he took as president. The court ruled that “Former President Trump has become citizen Trump, with all of the defenses of any other criminal defendant.” This latest pretension by Mr. Trump was thoroughly rejected by a three-judge panel, which included two judges appointed by Joe Biden and a staunch conservative appointed by George H.W. Bush.
Mr. Trump’s claim to immunity stems from a federal case brought by Jack Smith, the special counsel, concerning the former president’s attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The court hearing exposed the extraordinary nature of the argument, with Mr. Trump’s lawyer suggesting that a former president could not face legal reckoning for actions such as having a political rival assassinated by SEAL Team Six, unless impeached and convicted by Congress first. The judges were unimpressed, stating that making former presidents wholly immune from criminal exposure would abrogate “the primary constitutional duty of the judicial branch to do justice in criminal prosecutions.”
Donald Trump’s track record of swelling presidential power past its traditional limits, from declaring a national emergency to withholding financial records and White House communications, has been a cause for concern. This rejection of his claim to absolute immunity is a significant development in the ongoing legal battles surrounding his presidency.
2024-02-07 04:04:17
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