Trump's attorneys criticize Supreme Court over his immunity claim, warning of potential blackmail of future presidents if past presidents lack criminal prosecution immunity for official acts.
"A denial of criminal immunity would incapacitate every future President with de facto blackmail and extortion while in office, and condemn him to years of post-office trauma at the hands of political opponents," the presidential campaign said.
Trump and his legal team have always maintained that the former president is immune from prosecution over his actions during and prior to the Capitol incident on January 6, 2021. In order to delay special counsel Jack Smith's prosecution of the former president, the justices earlier consented to hear Trump's case.
The extent of Trump's team's claimed immunity has shocked some observers.
One famous instance is when Trump's attorney, D. John Sauer, would not rule out the possibility that a president might get away with murder if he or she ordered Navy SEALs to kill a political opponent. Although Sauer maintained that the president would have to be impeached for ordering the murder first, he did not rule out the possibility that Congress might decide not to prosecute the president.
Several legal experts have refuted the immunity claim, pointing out that granting it would elevate the presidency's authority to almost imperial proportions.
Trump's legal team and Sauer—who is also included on the Supreme Court brief—have said that the former president cannot be charged with a crime in connection with January 6 since the US Senate did not find him guilty of instigating the unrest during an impeachment hearing.
It is important to note that several Republican senators declined to vote for Trump's conviction on the grounds that they believed Congress had the authority to remove former presidents from office. At the time, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said that Trump was not getting off lightly because the chamber was unable to convict him.
On the Senate floor, McConnell said, "President Trump is still liable for everything he did while he was in office as an ordinary citizen." "He did not get away with anything yet."
In other passages of the Supreme Court brief, Trump's attorneys cite previous presidents who faced allegations of criminal activity from their political opponents or detractors. The former president's team cites President Barack Obama's drone strategy that resulted in American people dying, President George W. Bush's assertion that Iraq had "weapons of mass destruction," and President Bill Clinton's contentious pardon of Marc Rich.
Remarkably, Trump's team also cites conservative pundits who have maintained that Joe Biden ought to be prosecuted for his immigration policies. It goes unreported that Trump has said he would want to see Biden charged. On April 25, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in this case.
"A denial of criminal immunity would incapacitate every future President with de facto blackmail and extortion while in office, and condemn him to years of post-office trauma at the hands of political opponents," the presidential campaign said.
Trump and his legal team have always maintained that the former president is immune from prosecution over his actions during and prior to the Capitol incident on January 6, 2021. In order to delay special counsel Jack Smith's prosecution of the former president, the justices earlier consented to hear Trump's case.
The extent of Trump's team's claimed immunity has shocked some observers.
One famous instance is when Trump's attorney, D. John Sauer, would not rule out the possibility that a president might get away with murder if he or she ordered Navy SEALs to kill a political opponent. Although Sauer maintained that the president would have to be impeached for ordering the murder first, he did not rule out the possibility that Congress might decide not to prosecute the president.
Several legal experts have refuted the immunity claim, pointing out that granting it would elevate the presidency's authority to almost imperial proportions.
Trump's legal team and Sauer—who is also included on the Supreme Court brief—have said that the former president cannot be charged with a crime in connection with January 6 since the US Senate did not find him guilty of instigating the unrest during an impeachment hearing.
It is important to note that several Republican senators declined to vote for Trump's conviction on the grounds that they believed Congress had the authority to remove former presidents from office. At the time, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said that Trump was not getting off lightly because the chamber was unable to convict him.
On the Senate floor, McConnell said, "President Trump is still liable for everything he did while he was in office as an ordinary citizen." "He did not get away with anything yet."
In other passages of the Supreme Court brief, Trump's attorneys cite previous presidents who faced allegations of criminal activity from their political opponents or detractors. The former president's team cites President Barack Obama's drone strategy that resulted in American people dying, President George W. Bush's assertion that Iraq had "weapons of mass destruction," and President Bill Clinton's contentious pardon of Marc Rich.
Remarkably, Trump's team also cites conservative pundits who have maintained that Joe Biden ought to be prosecuted for his immigration policies. It goes unreported that Trump has said he would want to see Biden charged. On April 25, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in this case.
