In a historic and highly anticipated courtroom showdown, three federal appeals judges questioned whether a former president has absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions taken while in office. The case in question involves former President Donald Trump and the special counsel Jack Smith, who is seeking to hold Trump accountable for attempting to overturn the last election. Trump's attorneys argued that a former president can only be criminally charged if they were first impeached and convicted by the Senate while still in office. However, the judges appeared deeply skeptical of this argument.
The courtroom proceedings included a striking hypothetical question: Could a president order SEAL Team 6 to assassinate a political rival? Trump's attorney struggled to provide a clear answer, leading to further doubts about their position. The judges emphasized the impossibility of allowing a former president to engage in any conduct without the risk of criminal prosecution.
