Surprising Supreme Court Decision Sends Dems Into a Psychotic Meltdown!
Former President Donald Trump, through his legal representatives, has submitted a motion to a New York judge seeking to overturn his conviction related to hush money payments. This move follows a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision asserting that presidents have “immunity” for official actions.
“The Court should dismiss the indictment and vacate the jury’s verdicts based on violations of the Presidential immunity doctrine and the Supremacy Clause,” wrote Trump’s defense attorney, Todd Blanche, in the motion filed late Thursday, as reported by Fox News.
Trump, who was originally slated for sentencing on Thursday after being found guilty of 34 felony charges, has had his sentencing postponed to September. This delay allows the court to review the Supreme Court's ruling.
Blanche argued that the Supreme Court’s decision should influence what evidence is allowable in court. Specifically, he claimed that evidence pertaining to “official acts” should not have been included in the trial.
Fox News reported that Blanche specifically argued against the admissibility of testimony from former White House Communications Director Hope Hicks and former Special Assistant to the President Madeleine Westerhout, among others. He also contested testimony related to The Special Counsel’s Office, Congressional Investigations, the pardon power, Trump's responses to FEC Inquiries, his presidential Twitter posts, and other related testimonies.
Blanche stated that “official-acts evidence” presented by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to the grand jury “contravened the holding in Trump because Presidents ‘cannot be indicted based on conduct for which they are immune from prosecution,’” according to the motion. He argued that the Presidential immunity doctrine acknowledged in the Supreme Court ruling applies to all “criminal proceedings,” including grand jury proceedings when a prosecutor aims to charge a former President using evidence of official acts.
He further argued that Bragg “violated the Presidential immunity doctrine by using similar official-acts evidence in the grand jury proceedings that resulted in the politically motivated charges in this case.”
Blanche wrote, “Because an Indictment so tainted cannot stand, the charges must be dismissed.”
He also emphasized that the Supreme Court’s decision does not permit an “overwhelming evidence” or “harmless error” exception to “the profound institutional interests at stake.”
“Indeed, Trump contemplates a pretrial interlocutory appeal of an adverse Presidential immunity determination precisely because even the prospect of such a trial is constitutionally unacceptable,” the filing stated, according to Fox News. “It necessarily follows that the results of a trial conducted in breach of these holdings is invalid.”
Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the case, has rescheduled the sentencing hearing for September 18, “if such is still necessary.”
Fox News reported that the Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision on presidential immunity originated from a query related to charges against Trump in a different federal case brought by special counsel Jack Smith concerning the January 6 U.S. Capitol breach and alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
Politically, Trump seems to be leading against President Joe Biden. The Cook Political Report has adjusted its predictions for five significant swing states and Nebraska’s swing district in favor of Trump for the 2024 presidential election.
Amy Walter, the editor-in-chief of the non-partisan election forecaster, discussed the updates to their electoral map, noting that “As of July 9, the Democratic Party is living in a state of suspended animation. Despite growing calls from many in his party to leave the contest, President Joe Biden has made clear he has no intention of dropping out.”
According to their latest Electoral Map prediction, Arizona, Georgia, and Nevada have shifted from “toss-up” to “lean Republican,” putting Trump at 268 electoral votes; 270 are required to win the presidency.