As part of his presidential farewell address George Washington said, “The very idea of the power and the right of the people to establish government – presupposes the duty of every individual to obey the established government.”
Late last week, a federal judge in Washington D.C. used those words to reject Donald Trump’s motion to dismiss his criminal charges based on a claim of “presidential immunity.”
U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan’s decision amounts to a sharp rejection of challenges the Trump defense team had raised to their client’s four-count indictment. Trump’s trial is expected to center on the Republican candidate’s multi-pronged efforts to undo the 2020 election.
Chutkan’s response to Trump happened on the same day a federal appeals court ruled that the former president could be sued for inciting the insurrection. The ruling is likely to be appealed in the hope that it push the trial on election interference charges past the 2024 election.
1A explores presidential immunity and Trump’s legal standing.
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