Trump requests postponement of immunity decision
Trial delay operation ahead of Republican primary
Democratic Party: Conservative Supreme Court Justices should stay out of trial
Concerns over conservative-dominant federal Supreme Court law
As the fallout from the Colorado Supreme Court ruling that blocked former U.S. President Donald Trump’s eligibility to run for president continues, the U.S. Supreme Court, which took over the ball, has emerged as the ‘eye of the storm’ that will determine the direction of next year’s presidential election.
Former President Trump asked the Supreme Court on the 20th to postpone a decision on whether he has immunity in relation to allegations that he incited the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021 by some supporters who objected to the results of the 2020 presidential election. On the other hand, the White House and the ruling Democratic Party are concerned that the current Supreme Court, where six out of nine Supreme Court justices are conservative, may rule in favor of former President Trump, so they urged the exclusion of some Supreme Court justices from related trials.
The Supreme Court has been issuing controversial rulings recently, including abolishing the federal abortion right that had been in place for 49 years last year. Due to allegations of entertainment by some Supreme Court justices, trust in the country as the ‘last bastion of democracy’ is also plummeting. In this situation, the Supreme Court made a major decision that would affect the presidential election process.
Former President Trump’s lawyers argued on the 20th, “Having a leading Republican candidate undergo a criminal trial for several months during the height of the presidential campaign is disguising clear partisan interests as public interest.” With the presidential election about 10 months away, it is claimed that starting a trial of a leading opposition candidate is itself ‘interference in the election by the judiciary.’
Special Prosecutor Jack Smith, who previously indicted former President Trump on charges of participation in the ‘January 6 Incident’, asked the Supreme Court to quickly rule on former President Trump’s immunity claim. The Supreme Court will make its final decision on whether to issue a speedy ruling as early as January of next year. If the Supreme Court rejects immunity, former President Trump will face related trials starting in March next year, when the Republican presidential primary is in full swing.
The Democratic Party takes issue with the neutrality of some Supreme Court justices. Eight Democratic congressmen recently sent a letter to Justice Clarence Thomas, the most experienced of the nine Supreme Court justices, pressuring him not to participate in former President Trump’s immunity trial. Justice Thomas was appointed in 1991 by former President George W. Bush, a Republican. In addition, his wife, Ginny, a conservative lobbyist, was rumored to have played an advisory role in former President Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
During the 2000 presidential election, when Republican candidate George W. Bush and Democratic candidate Al Gore clashed, the Supreme Court recognized Florida’s decision to block a recount as legal, playing a decisive role in confirming former President Bush’s victory. Accordingly, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) commented that the Supreme Court was directly interfering in the presidential election again for the first time since 2000 and that “the Supreme Court is sitting in the hot seat.”
The fallout from the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling is not going away. Former President Trump said on social media on the 20th, “All the incidents I have faced are the work of the White House,” and claimed, “Joe Biden (President) must stop all political false accusations against me.”
His presidential campaign is using this situation to rally support by sending out political fundraising emails to all walks of life. His rivals within the party also supported former President Trump on this issue. Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley criticized the Colorado Supreme Court, saying, “This is a decision to be made by voters, not judges.” Some hard-core supporters of former President Trump posted the office address of the Colorado Supreme Court judge online and even posted a threat saying, “If we kill them, it will be over.”
Democrats are concerned that just as the first judicial indictment of former President Trump in March of this year actually led to a rise in his approval rating, this Colorado ruling will also work in former President Trump’s favor. David Axelrod, who was a senior White House adviser to former President Barack Obama, said, “Every legal challenge brought against Trump has helped strengthen his support in the Republican primary,” and predicted, “The same will be true for Colorado (state Supreme Court ruling).” .
When asked by a reporter, “Do you think former President Trump participated in the civil war?” President Biden responded, “There is no doubt.” “He definitely supported the civil war,” he said. However, he did not comment on the deprivation of the right to participate in the Colorado primary, saying, “It is up to the court to decide.”
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.