Supreme Court May Narrow Scope Of Criminal Case Against Trump

After nearly 3 hours of oral arguments, the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority appears inclined to limit the scope of the criminal case against former President Donald J. Trump. https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1783548658501218758 Free gift link to the New York Times:

The oral argument lasted nearly three hours, as the justices tangled with a lawyer for the former president and a Justice Department lawyer. A majority of the justices appeared skeptical of the idea of sweeping presidential immunity.

However, several of them suggested an interest in drawing out what actions may be immune and what may not — a move that could delay the former president’s trial if the Supreme Court asks a lower court to revisit the issues.

Many of the justices seemed to be considering the idea that presidents should enjoy some form of protection against criminal prosecution. The devil however will be in the details: How should that protection extend?

Generally speaking, cases heard in late April tend to see rulings released in late June. Even with a favorable result, there might not be enough time to conclude the trial against Trump before Election Day. Or, as in Bush v. Gore, the court issued its ruling handing the presidency to George W. Bush the day after hearing arguments. We shall see… https://twitter.com/MattGertz/status/1783500459245723954 https://twitter.com/RBReich/status/1783498375377064308