By The FirstA federal appeals court in Washington, DC ruled Tuesday that Donald Trump can face charges for his role in allegedly attempting to interfere with the results in the 2020 presidential election.
From Fox News:
Former U.S. President Trump is not immune from prosecution in the 2020 federal election case, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.
The U.S. Court of Appeals – D.C. Circuit considered Trump’s claim of presidential immunity from prosecution for his actions in office, including his alleged role in overturning his 2020 election loss, ultimately saying it was “unpersuaded by his argument” and ruled a case against him can proceed.
“We have balanced former President Trump’s asserted interests in executive immunity against the vital public interests that favor allowing this prosecution to proceed,” the court wrote in its ruling Tuesday.
The legally untested question before the court is whether former presidents can be prosecuted after they leave office for actions taken in the White House related to their official duties.
Steven Cheung, Trump campaign spokesperson, said in a statement that the case will have far-reaching consequences, both for Trump and all future presidents.
“If immunity is not granted to a President, every future President who leaves office will be immediately indicted by the opposing party,” he said. “Without complete immunity, a President of the United States would not be able to properly function!”
The Trump campaign spokesperson added: “Deranged Jack Smith’s prosecution of President Trump for his Presidential, official acts is unconstitutional under the doctrine of Presidential Immunity and the Separation of Powers. Prosecuting a President for official acts violates the Constitution and threatens the bedrock of our Republic. President Trump respectfully disagrees with the DC Circuit’s decision and will appeal it in order to safeguard the Presidency and the Constitution.”
