Former President Donald Trump recently spoke about his presidential immunity claim on the social media platform Truth Social just days before the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments on the issue. Trump has been using the presidential immunity defense to protect himself from criminal and civil challenges, including in his federal election interference case related to the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. He has been charged with four federal felony counts and maintains his innocence, claiming that the indictment is politically motivated. Trump is facing criminal indictments on both the state and federal level, and Newsweek has reached out to the relevant office for comment.
The Supreme Court will soon hear oral arguments to determine whether presidential immunity protects Trump from facing criminal charges for actions taken while in office. Trump took to Truth Social to discuss his presidential immunity claim, often criticizing President Joe Biden. He emphasized the importance of presidential immunity for a president to function properly and make decisions for the country without undue pressure. He warned that without immunity, the presidency as it is known would cease to exist, and many actions beneficial to the country would not be taken. Trump’s defense attorney requested his attendance at the Court’s hearing on his immunity defense, but the judge denied the request.
Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing Trump’s hush money criminal case in New York, denied Trump’s request to be excused from his trial in order to attend the Supreme Court hearing. Trump is the first former president in U.S. history to stand trial in a criminal case, facing charges related to hush money paid to Stormy Daniels during his 2016 campaign. Trump maintains that the case is politically motivated and has accused prosecutors and judges of interfering with his 2024 reelection bid by pursuing legal challenges before November. Merchan emphasized that Trump, as a criminal defendant, is required to be present at his trial and did not allow him to attend the Supreme Court hearing or his son’s graduation.
Trump expressed frustration at not being able to attend his son’s graduation or campaign events due to his legal proceedings, suggesting that this was exactly what the Democrats wanted. The judge has not yet ruled on whether Trump can be excused from court to attend his son’s graduation, stating that it was too early to make a decision. Trump’s legal team has been defending him against the various charges he is facing, insisting on his innocence and claiming that the legal challenges are politically motivated. The former president has been vocal about his belief in the importance of presidential immunity and its impact on the functioning of the presidency.
