Trump’s immunity appeal sends a stark message about his plans for a possible second term

CNN —

The idea that any White House candidate would show up in court, just six days before the Iowa caucuses, to challenge a 250-year understanding of the scope of the presidency is extraordinary.

But Donald Trump will again try to stretch those powers to save himself on Tuesday in a high-stakes court gambit that, if it succeeds, would place him and anyone else elected president above the law.

Given the 45th president’s oft-stated belief that he had near omnipotent powers when he was in office – and that he still might be entitled to them – the history-making spectacle about to unfold is not that surprising. The front-runner for the GOP nomination says he will be in the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to watch his lawyers argue that he has “absolute immunity” from prosecution in his federal 2020 election interference case.

Former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump campaigns in Mason City, Iowa, on January 5, 2024.

What to watch for in Trump’s federal immunity appeals hearing in Washington, DC

The case, and a looming trial, springs from Trump’s efforts to thwart the will of voters after he lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden. But with its proximity to Monday’s Iowa caucuses, which kick off 2024 voting, the case represents an ominous foreshadowing of how Trump envisages a possible second term. The former commander in chief has already warned that a possible return to the White House would be dedicated to “retribution,” which would likely test constitutional constraints as never before.

Trump on Monday made similar immunity claims in Georgia, where he’s trying to dismiss the state-level criminal charges against him, which stem from his efforts to subvert the