Alina Habba, Donald Trump‘s attorney, has rallied in support of the immunity claim for the former president. This comes in the wake of contentious comments made by another Trump lawyer, John Sauer, during a hearing.
What Happened: The controversial discussion took place during a Tuesday hearing set to review a motion aimed at potentially dismissing Trump’s election interference charges. Sauer, advocating for Trump, proposed that the ex-president should be broadly immune from all prosecution connected to the 2020 election interference allegations, The Hill reported.
Upon being asked by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals panel if the president could face prosecution if he ordered a political rival’s assassination, Sauer hinted that such an action could be covered by a former executive’s extensive immunity to criminal prosecution.
When Sean Hannity posed a similar question to Habba, she expressed her disapproval of such “non-existent hypotheticals” and underscored the need to tread carefully with “slippery slope” arguments.
“He didn’t kill anyone. He didn’t cause an insurrection. He didn’t get charged for it. But they’re using hypotheticals to frighten America,” Habba stated.
However, the immunity argument was met with opposition from special counsel Jack Smith‘s legal team and the three-judge panel. James Pearce, a lawyer from Smith’s team, warned of a terrifying future should a president be allowed to commit such acts without facing legal consequences.
Why It Matters: This incident adds fuel to the ongoing debate around Trump’s claim of “absolute immunity” from criminal prosecution. Former GOP leaders have previously challenged this assertion, warning of the potential dangers to the Constitution. They argue that endorsing Trump’s immunity claim could potentially incentivize future presidents to engage in illegal activities to retain power.
Meanwhile, Former White House lawyer Ty Cobb raised a red flag about the potential threat posed by former President Trump to the democratic system. Cobb was responding to a legal argument from Trump’s team that suggested a former president could use presidential immunity to justify actions like ordering the assassination of a political opponent by SEAL Team Six.
The former president is a leading Republican in most election polls for the 2024 presidential election despite facing multiple federal charges. The latest Morning Consult poll of GOP voters showed Trump with a comfortable 52-point lead over his Republican opponents, which dropped from a 55-point lead in the previous two polls.
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This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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