A Double Judicial Blow for Trump with No Impact on His Chances for the 2024 Elections

 Source: The News

Former President Donald Trump faced a double judicial blow recently, which has not seemed to affect his chances for the 2024 elections. One blow came in the form of a federal court's refusal to grant him presidential immunity in the case of storming Congress in 2021. In another case, a civil lawsuit filed by two police officers who were charged with protecting Congress was accepted, demanding compensation for the injuries they sustained.

In the first case, a federal judge rejected Trump's attempt to dismiss charges of election interference based on "presidential immunity." The judge asserted that Trump's indictment did not violate the First Amendment regarding freedom of expression. Trump is accused of illegally attempting to overturn his electoral defeat.

The court's president, Justice Tanya Chutkan, found no legal basis for concluding that presidents could not face criminal charges simply because they were no longer in office. This ruling confirms that presidents can be tried like any other citizen. Trump's trial in this case is scheduled to begin on March 4 of next year.

In the second case, a federal appeals court ruled that Trump could be sued in civil court for his alleged role in inciting the storming of the Congress building on January 6, 2021. Capitol Police officers James Blassingame and Sidney Hemby filed lawsuits against Trump, seeking financial compensation for the emotional and physical injuries they sustained.

Trump's lawyers argued that he was protected from lawsuits related to anything he did as part of his official duties. However, the justices found that Trump was acting as a candidate when he addressed the crowd, not in his official capacity as president. This unanimous decision could pave the way for further lawsuits against Trump regarding his alleged role in inciting violence.

Despite these legal troubles, Trump's chances for the 2024 elections remain unaffected. According to the Real Clear Politics website, Trump leads the group of Republicans seeking the party's nomination with an average of 62% of the votes. His closest competitor, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, has 13.6% of the votes, and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has 9.6%.

It is important to note that the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, resulted in the deaths of police officers, injuries to Capitol Police officers, and subsequent suicides by four police officers.