Trump’s lawyer made outlandish claims of broad and comprehensive presidential immunity that liberal and conservative justices seemed not to buy.
Let’s take a look at a couple of the claims.
Trump’s lawyer John Sauer argued that Trump has the legal authority to create fake slates of electors:
Trump’s lawyer, when asked if Trump has immunity to create a fake slate of electors to overthrow an election, “Absolutely, your honor. We have the historical precedent we cite in the lower courts of President Grant sending federal troops to Louisiana and Mississippi in 1876.” pic.twitter.com/jajj3TcLdu
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— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) April 25, 2024
Trump legal team also argued that stealing classified documents, the 1/6 attack and trying to overturn the presidential election were all Trump acting in his official capacity as president:
Trump’s lawyer argues trying to overthrow an election, the 1/6 attack, and stealing classified docs were official acts, “Prosecuting the president for his official acts is an innovation with no foothold in history or tradition and incompatible with our constitutional structure.” pic.twitter.com/ZRk7tf94MK
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) April 25, 2024
As George Conway pointed out on X, you know things aren’t going well when Sotomayor and Alito are tag teaming a lawyer with skeptical questions:
I can say with reasonable confidence that if you’re arguing a case in the Supreme Court of the United States and Justices Alito and Sotomayor are tag-teaming you, you are going to lose.
— George Conway (@gtconway3d) April 25, 2024
The Trump legal team has consistently demonstrated that they have no credible legal point to be made on this issue. The argument itself shows why it was a waste of critical and precious time for the Supreme Court to ever agree to hear this case.
Trump is not making argument to protect a president. He is arguing that the president is a dictator that can do what he/she pleases, and is only bound by the remedy of impeachment and conviction. The Trump argument is that the law does not apply to presidents.
It is perhaps the most anti-democracy argument ever made before the Supreme Court, and even this conservative majority isn’t buying it.
President Biden is literally rebuilding America, while prosecutors are building a case that could convict Donald Trump.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
