Trump tells Supreme Court a denial of immunity would ‘incapacitate every future president,’ in initial brief

Former President Trump told the Supreme Court in his initial brief that he should be immune from criminal charges, arguing that a denial would “incapacitate every future president with de facto blackmail and extortion while in office,” and would create “post-office trauma at the hands of political opponents.” 

Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, and his legal team filed the 67-page brief to the high court on Tuesday. 

The Supreme Court will hear initial arguments on the issue of presidential immunity on April 25, after Trump argued that he should be immune from prosecution on charges stemming from Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into alleged election interference in 2020 and Jan. 6. 

Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Smith’s trial is on hold pending the high court’s ruling, which is expected to be handed down in mid-June. 

“A denial of criminal immunity would incapacitate every future President with de facto blackmail and extortion while in office, and condemn him to years of post-office trauma at the hands of political opponents,” the brief states. “The threat of future prosecution and imprisonment would become a political cudgel to influence the most sensitive and controversial Presidential decisions, taking away the strength, authority, and decisiveness of the Presidency.” 

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