Former Acting U.S. Solicitor General Neal Katyal has expressed concern over the delay in the federal case against former President Donald Trump related to the 2020 election and the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
What Happened: As reported by The Hill, Katyal voiced his apprehension on Sunday regarding the delay in Trump’s case due to the ongoing review of his immunity claims by an appeals court. The case, which was initially slated to begin next month, has been postponed.
“I am officially now at the freakout stage,” said Katyal during an appearance on MSNBC’s “Inside with Jen Psaki.”
“I think we're now at the point — to use a different legal phrase, justice delayed is justice denied. I mean, I can't imagine a more compelling need for speed than the idea that American citizens deserve to know before the election whether a candidate for office is a felon and an insurrectionist,” said Katyal, according to the report.
U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan has put the case on hold until the appeals court reaches a decision. The timeline for the hearing remains uncertain, leading to speculation about whether it will take place before the 2024 presidential election, where Trump is a potential GOP nominee.
Katyal, who served under the Barack Obama administration, argued that the presidential immunity case should not take so long to decide. He expressed his frustration over the delays, stating that he believes it is an “easy case.”
During the argument of the presidential immunity case before the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals panel last month, Trump’s attorney John Sauer responded with a “qualified yes” to a hypothetical question about presidential immunity, which met with significant pushback from the panel.
Katyal voiced his concern that the delay could push the trial past June and potentially lead to an appeal to the Supreme Court, which could take additional months.
Why It Matters: The delay in Trump’s trial comes after Judge Chutkan postponed the trial pending an appeals court ruling on Trump's claim of presidential immunity. The District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals heard Trump's arguments on Jan. 9, expressing skepticism over his claim that former executives are broadly immune from criminal prosecution.
Meanwhile, concerns about a potential second term for Trump have been raised by John Bolton, the former national security adviser to Trump, and President Joe Biden. Both have warned about the potential consequences of a second Trump presidency, citing it as a potential “nightmare” for the nation.
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