Donald Trump opposes the special counsel’s request for the Supreme Court to decide right now whether he has any immunity from federal prosecution for alleged crimes he committed while in office, lawyers for the former president told the justices in court papers Wednesday.

Special counsel Jack Smith asked the high court last week to review a lower-court ruling that Trump, as a former president, is not immune from the election subversion criminal case. Smith in his appeal to the justices asked them to take the rare step of reviewing the issue before a federal appeals court in Washington, DC, weighs in.

But Trump, whose legal strategy in the case so far has largely revolved around attempts to delay the proceedings, told the justices that Smith should not be able to leapfrog over the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit to resolve the critical issue.

    • Xhieron@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      Lol. A bunch of folks, including Donald Trump, are saying exactly that. It’s part of the reason we’re even having this conversation.

      • halcyoncmdr@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        It’s part of the reason we’re even having this conversation. Technically, not with this one. This claim isn’t about Trump currently being the President. It’s about whether the fact he was President at the time made a difference, and whether his actions that would otherwise be in clear violation of the law, are protected by that fact.

        Effectively he’s asking the Supreme Court to decide whether any illegal actions a President takes while in office cannot be prosecuted after the fact. They could do anything they want while in office, and as long as Congress doesn’t decide to Impeach and remove them from office, it’s all okay. Meaning the President would effectively be above the law.

        THAT’S why Trump doesn’t want them to even think about it, as partisan as the court is, they clearly cannot rule that way. A big part of the Republican messaging is being tough on crime and no one is immune, while making sure those with money are. That means keeping up some appearances.

        However, this is the chance for him to be removed from the board, and by a Court that is clearly not aligned with is political opponent. He can’t just say it’s the Biden DOJ going after him when it’s a clear Republican majority Supreme Court making the decision. If they rule he’s not immune, he gets the full federal charge dicking he is desperately trying to avoid, and he gets to sit in a jail cell complaining to only his most extreme sycophants while the rest of the country moves on to other politicians. The MAGAts will find someone new to latch onto instead, just like they’ve always done, but the guy that constantly says the quiet part out loud without gaining any sort of advantage, fucking up plans the party has been laying for over 40 years gets removed from play. The party can go back to laying their plans in the shadows without a dumbass talking about them all the time trying to brag about something he knows.

        • ripcord@kbin.social
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          11 months ago

          That means keeping up some appearances.

          Oh my, it absolutely does not. That went 100% out the window 5 years ago. Republicans absolutely do not live in any part of that world anymore

      • balderdash@lemmy.zip
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        11 months ago

        You’re just going to take everything I type literally huh. 1) I’m not saying Trump is the president and 2) the court decision is a lose-lose. Glad I could clear that up for you

          • balderdash@lemmy.zip
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            11 months ago

            People being willfully obtuse just to score points in an argument is a bit pathetic. And I mean that.

            • gregorum@lemm.ee
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              11 months ago

              repeat that into a mirror, and we may all accomplish something today.

                • gregorum@lemm.ee
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                  11 months ago

                  People being willfully obtuse just to score points in an argument is a bit pathetic. And I mean that.

                  guess you didn’t really mean this, then…

                  if you can’t say what you mean, say nothing at all.