Supreme Court Declines to Rule on Trump Immunity Argument

The Supreme Court declined the request from Special Counsel Jack Smith to issue a judgment on former President Donald Trump’s claim that he is immune from prosecution over his actions in the aftermath of the 2020 election.

For Context: In August, the Department of Justice charged Trump with four crimes in connection with the 2020 election and the January 6 Capitol riot. Trump’s legal team attempted to have the case dismissed, arguing that Trump has legal immunity for his actions as president during the election. The federal judge overseeing the case denied this motion. Trump’s team appealed the decision, and Smith requested the United States Supreme Court to intervene, bypassing the federal appeals court.

Details: In asking the Supreme Court to intervene in the case before the federal appeals court, Smith made what CNN (Lean Left bias) labeled an “extraordinary gamble.” Smith argued that waiting for the appeals court to rule on the case would delay the trial's scheduled March start date, writing, “the resolution of the question presented is pivotal to whether the former President himself will stand trial – which is scheduled to begin less than three months in the future.” Trump's legal team argued that Smith’s appeal to bypass the appeals court was disingenuous. Outlets across the spectrum are predicting that the decision will most likely delay the trail’s start date.

How the Media Covered It: Outlets across the spectrum covered the decision prominently on Friday but mainly offered analysis since few details were released by the court.