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The Court of Appeals in Washington has heard arguments on whether or not former President Donald Trump enjoys immunity from prosecution on charges of trying to overturn the outcome of the 2020 election.
Donald Trump himself appeared in person at the hearing. Lawyers have asked for his case to be dismissed on the grounds that former presidents cannot face criminal charges for actions related to their official responsibilities and that courts have no authority to review the acts of a president.
But the special prosecutor, Jack Smith, who is leading the investigation into Mr. Trump, has argued that presidents do not enjoy full immunity and that the actions of which the former president is accused were not related to his state functions.
According to prosecutor Smith, Mr. Trump acted in the role of a political candidate, not a president, when he pressured election officials to overturn his loss to Mr. Biden and when he urged his supporters to go to the Capitol in January 6, 2021.
Prosecutors say that if Mr. Trump's arguments that he enjoys immunity are upheld, it would open the way for a future president to escape prosecution for crimes such as taking bribes in exchange for a contract. governmental; or instructing the head of the FBI to manipulate evidence to the detriment of political opponents, or to sell nuclear secrets to foreign rivals.
In their submissions, among other things, former President Trump's lawyers have cited a constitutional provision on the basis of which a person cannot be tried twice for the same charge. According to them, the case contains similar charges to those brought against Mr. Trump by the House of Representatives, but the Senate, the body that conducts the trial against a president, declared him innocent.
After the session, Trump himself spoke, insisting on immunity. " I think that as president, you should have immunity, very simple ," he said in a comment to the media at the Waldorf Astoria hotel after the session.
" You cannot have a president without immunity", he added. " You have to, as president, you have to be able to do your job ." Trump also reflected on the arguments his lawyers made in court, saying his prosecution "opens Pandora's box."
Trump emphasized that if he wins the presidential election in November of this year, he may prosecute the current Democratic president.
" I haven't done anything wrong. Absolutely nothing bad. If I don't get immunity, then Joe Biden won't get immunity ," Trump said in a video posted on social media.
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