Donald Trump on Tuesday filed a U.S. Supreme Court brief in his bid for criminal immunity for trying to overturn his 2020 election loss, arguing that a former president enjoys “absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for his official acts.”
The case is due to be argued before the justices on April 25. Trump has appealed a lower court’s rejection of his request to be shielded from the criminal case being pursued by Special Counsel Jack Smith because he was serving as president when he took the actions at the center of the case.
The filing advances arguments similar to ones Trump’s lawyers previously have made and echoes statements he has made on the campaign trail as he seeks to regain the presidency.
“The president cannot function, and the presidency itself cannot retain its vital independence, if the president faces criminal prosecution for official acts once he leaves office,” the filing said.
The President isn’t part of the judicial branch. He makes appointments that get approved… But he’s not part of that process.
He has some political clout, but what you describe is exactly what we fear Trump will do if he’s able to fill all the slots with minions (who should know better but may break conventions and laws regardless).
It isn’t done. Even for actual crimes it goes through the judicial side.
Y’all are saying Biden should break the law and do the very same, chilling thing Trump hopes to. The balance of powers is critical to our system. It’s in need of repair, but what’s being banded about would be a major breach.
You’re missing the point that it would make it legal for Biden to do those things if the supreme court agreed with Trump. They aren’t advocating for Biden to do these things, but the obvious buffoonery of even proposing the ruling by Trump. He could murder Trump, the house impeaches, the Senate does nothing as usual, and tada it’s all legal now.