Donald Trump is arguing that his failed immunity claim means former presidents could be imprisoned.
Trump’s comments come after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled Tuesday that he is not immune from prosecution in the Jan. 6 federal election subversion case.
“For the purpose of this criminal case, former President Trump has become citizen Trump, with all of the defenses of any other criminal defendant. But any executive immunity that may have protected him while he served as President no longer protects him against this prosecution,” the court wrote in their unanimous decision.
Trump argues that it means former Presidents Barack Obama and George Bush could be locked up and Joe Biden could join them if he loses the 2024 presidential election.
“If a President does not have Immunity, the Opposing Party, during his/her term in Office, can extort and blackmail the President by saying that, ‘if you don’t give us everything we want, we will Indict you for things you did while in Office,’ even if everything done was totally Legal and Appropriate,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
He continued: “That would be the end of the Presidency, and our Country, as we know it, and is just one of the many Traps there would be for a President without Presidential Immunity. Obama, Bush, and soon, Crooked Joe Biden, would all be in PRISON. Protect Presidential Immunity. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Trump has repeatedly promised to go after his political rivals if he is re-elected in November. In December, the former president shared the results of a survey on his social media account bragging about “revenge” and “dictatorship” being the top of voters’ minds when thinking about his second term. He has also repeatedly threatened to weaponize his justice department against Joe Biden and other opponents.
