The latest news on Trump's immunity claim:
- A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit heard arguments today over former President Donald Trump's claim that he is immune from prosecution connected to his effort to overturn the 2020 election.
- Trump, who attended today's arguments, faces charges in a Washington, D.C., federal court that were filed by special counsel Jack Smith. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the four charges: conspiracy to defraud the U.S.; conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding; obstruction; and conspiracy against the right to vote and to have one’s vote counted.
- Trump contends that his efforts in 2020 were within his official presidential duties and therefore protected by presidential immunity.
- The judges are all women: Judge Karen Henderson, who was appointed in 1990 by then-President George H.W. Bush, and Judges Michelle Childs and Florence Pan, both appointed by President Joe Biden.
- Dean John Sauer, a former Missouri solicitor general and clerk for conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, argued on behalf of Trump. James Pearce, a career lawyer in the Justice Department, represented the special counsel.
Stay tuned for quick ruling by the appeals court
With oral arguments now complete, the three-judge appeals court panel will now turn toward issuing a quick ruling in the case, which has been heard on an expedited schedule.
A decision could come within days, although there is no deadline for the court to act and it could take longer to draft the decision, especially if the court addresses all the major legal issues. If one judges dissents, that could also hold things up.
Whatever happens, the losing party would be expected to quickly appeal to the Supreme Court. One important detail of any ruling will be whether the court sets a short timeline for the decision to go into effect, which would put pressure on Trump — should he lose — to file an appeal quickly with the Supreme Court instead of delaying his next move to buy time.
Trump says he thinks the arguments went well
The former president said in remarks from the Waldorf Astoria that he thinks his legal team's arguments went well in court today.
"I think it's very unfair" when an opponent, a political opponent, is prosecuted, he said.
"They're losing in every poll, they're losing in almost every demographic," Trump said about Biden.
He said that the prosecution of him is a "threat to democracy," and added that he did "nothing wrong."
Trump reiterated, without evidence, that they "found tremendous voter fraud" in the 2020 election. He said that Smith's team conceded two points today that "by normal standards" would make it the end of the case.
Trump attacks Georgia prosecutor
Speaking after the arguments in his appeal, Trump turned his focus to the case in Georgia to attack the prosecutor after one of his co-defendants submitted a filing last night arguing that prosecutor Fani Willis is romantically involved with an outside prosecutor her office hired.
"Their case is so compromised now it has to be dropped," Trump claimed.
Trump is speaking from a room at his old hotel
Trump is about to speak from the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C., which used to be the Trump International Hotel.
Trump press conference has begun
One of Trump's lawyers, John Lauro, spoke first.
Trump shook head at prosecutor's 'vindictive' remark
Among the times Trump appeared annoyed was when Pearce told the judges that he didn't think the case would open a floodgate of others against presidents.
Trump shook his head in disagreement when Pearce said he didn't expect "to see a sea change of vindictive tit-for-tat prosecutions in the future."
View from inside the courtroom: Trump appeared agitated during arguments
Trump entered the courtroom at 9:25 a.m. and sat at the counsel’s table.
He was mostly muted during his lawyers’ arguments but grew flustered at points during the special counsel's arguments.
Trump appeared agitated at times, passing notes to his lawyers on a yellow legal pad.
He grew most animated when his lawyer claimed on rebuttal that Trump was winning in the polls, vigorously shaking his head yes.
What could happen next?
The court is hearing the case on an expedited schedule, so a ruling could come quickly. Whatever happens, the losing party is likely to immediately appeal to the Supreme Court. The justices would then face a decision on whether to take up the case and issue their own ruling, potentially also on a fast-tracked basis.
But the Supreme Court is not required to take up the case and could simply leave the appeals court ruling in place. If Trump loses the appeal and the Supreme Court declines to hear his case, then the trial could still move forward quickly.
Trump will speak at nearby hotel
Trump's campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said that he would be making remarks shortly at a local hotel.
Walt Nauta is in the courtroom
Walt Nauta was in the courtroom, next to his lawyer Stan Woodward.
Nauta has been charged by the special counsel's office in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case against Trump, which is not the case that was being argued today.
