WASHINGTON: Former president of the United States (U.S.), Donald Trump, has said that he will be participating in an appeals court hearing in Washington D.C. on Tuesday regarding the scope of his presidential immunity.
In a post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump said “Of course, I was entitled, as President of the United States and Commander in Chief, to Immunity.”
Prosecutors have charged Trump, currently the leading contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, with allegations of attempting to obstruct Congress and defraud the U.S. government in efforts to overturn Democratic President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.
Trump contended that the case should be dismissed on the grounds that former presidents are shielded from criminal charges related to their official responsibilities. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan rejected this argument on Dec. 1, leading to Trump’s appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Trump’s appeal has temporarily halted his trial, which is scheduled for March.
In the previous month, the U.S. Supreme Court chose not to immediately rule on Trump’s claim that he is immune from prosecution for attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Instead, a lower court is continuing to review the matter.
