This Tuesday (9), former Republican President Donald Trump appeared before a federal court in the United States, seeking to claim that, due to his status as former president, he should be immune from criminal prosecution related to accusations of trying to reverse the results of the 2020 elections. In this election, Trump was defeated by the current president, Joe Biden.
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Trump’s lawyers will try to persuade three Washington Court of Appeals judges to overturn the election interference charges, relying on the supposed “absolute immunity” that former presidents would enjoy, barring prosecution for actions taken during their terms in the White House. It is worth noting that Trump will not have the opportunity to speak during the process.
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The expectation is that the trial of the former president, considered the favorite for the Republican Party’s presidential candidacy in 2024, will take place on March 4 in a Washington courtroom, close to the Capitol, a place invaded by Trump supporters on January 6 2021, in an attempt to prevent the certification of Biden’s victory. With the Republican Party primaries approaching next week, Trump is using the hearing as a platform to claim he is a victim of political persecution. The U.S. Justice Department has long maintained that sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted for actions taken while in office, and Trump has sought to extend that protection to former presidents.
If the argument is unsuccessful, Trump claims that, if he returns to the White House after the November elections, he will sue Biden. In a video posted on social media, Trump declared: “If I don’t have immunity, then crooked Joe Biden won’t have immunity either. Joe would be ready to be indicted.” Since the first criminal indictment was announced in March last year, Trump has consolidated a significant lead over his competitors in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, hoping to easily win the contest in Iowa next Monday (15).