FORMER US President Donald Trump appeared before the US Court of Appeals in Washington DC over his claims of immunity in relation to accusations about his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 U.S. presidential election and links to the US Capitol riots that occurred on January 6, 2021.
Police cars and cops patrolling the area were seen near the court building ahead of Donald Trump’s arrival.
Lawyers of Trump argued that his federal election subversion indictment should be dismissed, saying that he is immune from prosecution, but a three-judge panel questioned whether this immunity issue would allow presidents to sell pardons or assassinate political opponents.
The accusation claims Trump’s alleged efforts to change the presidential election resulted in the attack on the capitol.
Democratic appointees Judge J. Michelle Childs and Judge Florence Y. Pan, and Republican Judge Karen L. Henderson showed skepticism against Trump’s defense, which claimed the he was obeying his constitutional duty to ensure that the election was fair.
To recall, in December last year, Colorado state’s top court ruled 4-3 that Trump was not eligible to run for president in the state due to his alleged involvement in the US Capitol riot, a ruling that is likely to be appealed in the US Supreme Court.
The Colorado court’s decision marked the first time a presidential candidate has been deemed unqualified to run for office by appealing section 3 of the 14th amendment of the constitution, which prescribes the disqualification of a person ‘engaged in insurrection or rebellion’.
