Trump Pushes For Total Immunity — Including For Events That ‘Cross The Line’

Former President Donald Trump, who faces federal criminal charges over his unprecedented efforts to overturn his loss in the 2020 presidential election, argued on Thursday that presidents should have complete immunity from prosecution for any crime they may commit while in office.

“EVEN EVENTS THAT ‘CROSS THE LINE’ MUST FALL UNDER TOTAL IMMUNITY, OR IT WILL BE YEARS OF TRAUMA TRYING TO DETERMINE GOOD FROM BAD,” Trump wrote in all capital letters on his social media platform, Truth Social.

He added: “SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO LIVE WITH ‘GREAT BUT SLIGHTLY IMPERFECT.’ ALL PRESIDENTS MUST HAVE COMPLETE & TOTAL PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY, OR THE AUTHORITY & DECISIVENESS OF A PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES WILL BE STRIPPED & GONE FOREVER. HOPEFULLY THIS WILL BE AN EASY DECISION. GOD BLESS THE SUPREME COURT!”

Trump’s lawyers argued in federal court earlier this month that his actions seeking to overturn the 2020 election, leading up to the violent Jan. 6, 2021, attack on Congress, were official acts and that he is, therefore, immune from prosecution by the Justice Department, which has charged him with three counts of conspiracy and one count of obstructing an official proceeding.

However, the U.S. District Court of Appeals judges seemed likely to reject that argument. Trump’s comments on Thursday signaled that he hopes the conservative 6-3 Supreme Court will take up the matter and rule in his favor.

Trump’s bid for total immunity has drawn bipartisan criticism. Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, his leading 2024 presidential primary rival, dismissed it as “ridiculous,” while Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) called it “antithetical to what we all believe in.”

Still, Trump has picked up momentum following his resounding win in the