USA: Donald Trump asks the Supreme Court to suspend the stripping of his criminal immunity

He doesn’t let go. Donald Trump asked the US Supreme Court on Monday to stay an appeal ruling stripping the former Republican president of any criminal immunity and to hear his appeal to overturn the decision.

A US federal appeals court on February 6 stripped Donald Trump of criminal immunity, resuming his trial in Washington for attempting to illegally overturn the 2020 election results, effective Monday, unless it is appealed to the Supreme Court.

In this appeal, Donald Trump’s lawyers are seeking the appeal’s decision to be overturned. They are also asking the Supreme Court, while waiting to see whether it agrees to hear the appeal, to stay its consideration. Donald Trump’s defense team has claimed “absolute immunity” for his actions while in the White House.

“Former President Trump Became Citizen Trump”

“We cannot accept that the office of the President will forever place its former owners above the law,” the three appellate judges wrote in their unanimous decision, affirming what Judge Chutkan had ruled in December at first instance.

“For the purposes of this criminal case, former President Trump became Citizen Trump with the same protections as any other defendant. But any executive immunity that might have protected him when he was president no longer protects him from these prosecutions,” these judges explained.

The top Republican front-runner in the November presidential election, who faces four separate criminal charges, is seeking through multiple appeals to appear in court as late as possible, at least after the vote.