President Biden said he “can’t think of one” reason presidents should be able to receive absolute immunity from prosecution, a response to former President Donald Trump asking the courts to grant him immunity.
Mr. Biden reportedly made the comment to reporters Saturday before he left the White House to head to Camp David where he spent Christmas, Bloomberg reported.
The Supreme Court Friday denied special counsel Jack Smith’s request to fast-track a hearing on Mr. Trump’s immunity case. The case will now stay with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. The court is scheduled to hear arguments on the immunity question on Jan. 9.
“The Supreme Court has unanimously rejected Deranged Jack Smith’s desperate attempt to short circuit our Great Constitution,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social Friday. “Crooked Joe Biden and his henchmen waited three years to bring this sham case, and now they have tried and failed to rush this Witch Hunt through the courts. Of course I am entitled to Presidential Immunity. I was President, it was my right and duty to investigate, and speak on, the rigged and stolen 2020 Presidential Election.”
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing Mr. Trump’s election interference case in Washington, rejected Mr. Trump’s immunity claim earlier this month, which led the former president to the D.C. Circuit Court.
It’s still possible that the high court could hear the case, just not as early as Mr. Smith wanted.
SEE ALSO: Decision on Trump’s immunity claims could be months away, former prosecutor warns
Preet Bharara, former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said it’s possible the appeals process could be decided in the coming weeks but warned that “weeks can turn to months pretty quickly” in the legal process.
“Obviously, the special counsel argued stridently for fast-tracking the case and getting it done quickly because there’s an election coming up, although he doesn’t say that outright,” Mr. Bharara said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.” “It’s still possible the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals deals with the matter quickly in the next few weeks, and it’s also possible that the Supreme Court then has an understanding that it will immediately take jurisdiction and decide the case, but it may not.
• Ramsey Touchberry contributed to this report.
