Former President Trump claimed Tuesday that if U.S. presidents were not broadly protected by presidential immunity, their retirement years would be plagued with legal battles that would make it difficult to enjoy their “golden years.”
In a series of posts Tuesday, Trump doubled down on his presidential immunity defense, hours after attending arguments before federal appeals court judges in Washington.
“WITHOUT IMMUNITY, IT WOULD BE VERY HARD FOR A PRESIDENT TO ENJOY HIS OR HER ‘GOLDEN YEARS’ OF RETIREMENT,” Trump wrote Tuesday afternoon on Truth Social.
“THEY WOULD BE UNDER SIEGE BY RADICAL, OUT OF CONTROL PROSECUTORS, MUCH LIKE I AM, BUT WITHOUT THE RETIREMENT!!!” Trump added.
Trump, the GOP front-runner for president in 2024, warned in similar posts Tuesday that if the courts ultimately find presidential immunity does not apply, then other presidents would similarly not be immune from prosecution.
“IF A PRESIDENT DOES NOT HAVE IMMUNITY, THE COURT WILL BE 'OPENING THE FLOODGATES' TO PROSECUTING FORMER PRESIDENTS. AN OPPOSING HOSTILE PARTY WILL BE DOING IT FOR ANY REASON, ALL OF THE TIME!” Trump wrote.
In a second post, Trump added: “IF THEY TAKE AWAY MY IMMUNITY, THEY TAKE AWAY CROOKED JOE BIDEN’S IMMUNITY. WITHOUT IMMUNITY, IT WOULD BE VERY HARD FOR A PRESIDENT TO PROPERLY FUNCTION!”
The hearing Tuesday morning reviewed a motion from Trump’s team to toss his election interference charges. During the hearing, Trump attorney John Sauer argued presidents could only be criminally prosecuted if they had been tried and convicted already by the Senate.
Trump faces four criminal indictments, including two cases involving his efforts to stay in power after losing the presidential election in 2020.
Trump was impeached for the second time for his actions surrounding the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, but he was ultimately acquitted in the Senate, after 57 senators, including seven Republicans, voted to convict and 43 senators voted to acquit. The vote needed a two-thirds majority.
