Judge Rejects Trump’s Claim of ‘Presidential Immunity’ in 2020 Election Case

A federal judge on Friday rejected former President Donald Trump’s claim of presidential immunity and other constitutional defenses in his 2020 election case. In October, President Trump asked U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to dismiss the election interference charges against him in Washington, D.C., on the grounds that the U.S. Constitution grants him “absolute immunity” for acts within the “outer perimeter” of a president’s “official responsibility.” However, on Friday evening, Judge Chutkan, an Obama appointee, found no legal foundation to conclude that presidents are immune to criminal charges after leaving office. In a 48-page ruling, the judge wrote that neither the U.S. Constitution nor any court or branch of government “has ever accepted” this argument, “and this court will not so hold.”...