Staff Reports
In a twist fit for reality television, Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign hangs in the balance, waiting for the Supreme Court’s decision on his claims of presidential immunity. Will the court be brave enough to wade into this high-stakes political drama, or will they choose to take the easy way out? CNN’s legal analyst, Elie Honig, predicts that the justices might shy away from the publicity and hand over the responsibility to the lower courts.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. If the Supreme Court refuses to hear Trump’s case, prosecutor Jack Smith will have a clear path to putting the former president on trial before the next election. However, if the court decides to take up the case, the ensuing legal battles could drag out the trial long past the election, leaving Trump hanging in suspense.
Honig admits that the outcome is uncertain and could go either way. The Supreme Court already showed some reluctance when dealing with Trump’s access to the ballot last week. They seemed skeptical of the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision to disqualify Trump under the 14th Amendment. It’s possible that the justices might want to avoid another political bombshell and instead rely on the “well-reasoned” and “strong” lower court rulings in the immunity case.
However, not all hope is lost for Trump. All he needs is one vote from the justices to have his case heard. With the likes of Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, and Neil Gorsuch potentially in his corner, Trump just needs to sway one of the remaining three justices: Roberts, Barrett, or Kavanaugh. It’s a numbers game, and Trump knows how to play them.
But let’s not forget the political implications. Recent polls suggest that Trump has an advantage over Joe Biden, his likely electoral opponent in November. However, a conviction resulting from this trial could completely upend the current balance. If Trump wants to avoid being judged unfairly, he must find a way to delay the trial indefinitely. After all, in Washington D.C., where over 90 percent of voters backed Biden in 2020, finding an impartial jury would be as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack.
With a Monday deadline looming, Trump is expected to file his appeal to the Supreme Court. All eyes are on the nine justices, waiting to see if they have the courage to tackle this headline-grabbing case or if they will take the easy way out, leaving the future of Trump’s campaign hanging in the balance. Let’s hope they choose wisely.
