Former President Donald Trump and his legal team argue for near-complete immunity from crimes committed during his presidency.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit questioned this theory, with judges expressing skepticism.
“I understand your position to be that a president is immune from criminal prosecution for any official act that he takes as president even if that action is taken for an unlawful or unconstitutional purpose. Is that correct?” Judge Florence Pan asked.
REPORTER: Do you agree with your lawyers that you could not be prosecuted if you ordered Seal Team 6 to kill a political opponent?
TRUMP: A president has to have immunity pic.twitter.com/ntLHSCDBF8
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 11, 2024
Trump’s lawyer stated that a president could only face prosecution after impeachment and conviction by the Senate.
Despite this, Trump and his legal team have not disavowed the argument, with Trump suggesting that without immunity, a president would be ineffective.
“Do you agree with what your lawyers, what they said on Tuesday, that you should not be prosecuted — could not be prosecuted — if you ordered Seal Team Six to kill a political opponent?” Trump was asked.
“I say this,” Trump said, “On immunity, very simple, if a president of the United States does not have immunity, he’ll be totally ineffective, because he won’t be able to do anything, because it will mean he’ll be prosecuted — strongly prosecuted, perhaps — as soon as he leaves office by the opposing party.”
