The legal entanglements of former President Donald Trump are taking a new turn with special counsel Jack Smith’s urgent request to the Supreme Court.
Smith’s office recently filed a petition urging the justices to expedite their decision on whether Trump had immunity in connection with election-related charges. The Court has asked Trump’s team for a response by the upcoming week.
Trump’s attorney accuses Special Counsel of election interference
During a Fox Business interview, Alina Habba, Trump’s attorney, expressed skepticism about the special counsel’s motives.
“There is some sort of real sense of urgency” on Smith’s part, she said, adding, “The only urgency that I can see is that there is an election in November 2024, and they can’t beat him.” Habba accused Smith’s team of engaging in “election interference” against Trump.
Delving deeper into the strategy behind the prosecution, Habba argued, “Everyone can see” the tactics being employed.
She continued, “They can’t beat him in the ballots, so they’re gonna have to either, you know, lie, cheat, steal or the newest, is lawfare, put him in jail, tie him up,” further labeling these actions as “un-American.”
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Trump’s attorney sees legal challenges as boosting Trump’s voter support
According to Habba, these legal challenges ironically work in Trump’s favor. “He is the victim of, all of a sudden, they’ve made him a victim of complete and utter election interference and lawfare,” she stated, suggesting that this situation is garnering Trump unexpected voter support.
Habba offered her perspective on why the Supreme Court accepted the case so quickly.
“You can either interpret it as they want a quick response because it’s a non-issue and they’re not going to take it up, or they want a quick response because this needs to be shut down because there are so many other cases where they’re trying to do this,” she speculated.
Nonetheless, she expressed confidence in the Court: “I do have faith in the Supreme Court. I think that those justices really take their office seriously. And we’ve seen that time and time again with them, especially recently.”
Special Counsel urges swift resolution in Trump’s immunity case
In his petition, Mr. Smith emphasized the importance of a rapid resolution, writing, “It is of imperative public importance that respondent’s claims of immunity be resolved by this Court and that respondent’s trial proceed as promptly as possible if his claim of immunity is rejected.”
This move indicates the special counsel’s intent to avoid delays in the trial process.
The upcoming trials pose significant logistical challenges for Trump and his team. Trump senior adviser Susie Wiles described the situation as “a scheduling nightmare.”
The various legal proceedings, including a significant trial set for March 4, are complicating the former president’s campaign plans for 2024.
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Trump to skip GOP debates, campaign optimistic about legal progress
With a packed schedule and legal hurdles, Trump is expected to forgo participation in GOP debates. “He’ll be here plenty,” Mr. Wiles assured reporters in New Hampshire, “But I don’t think he’s going to get on the debate stage.”
The Trump campaign views the recent legal developments favorably.
A campaign spokesperson, Steven Cheung, commented on the pause in the Washington case: “The constitution should not be suspended in a baseless prosecution against the leading candidate for President.”
Trump’s team challenges prosecution, focuses on 2024 election impact
As Trump navigates through his legal battles, his team remains critical of the prosecution’s methods and timing, framing these challenges as a direct attack on the election process.
The outcome of these proceedings and their impact on Trump’s campaign continue to be a focal point in the lead-up to the 2024 election.
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