AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais
Former President Donald Trump was given “a gift” by the Supreme Court of the United States on Wednesday, argued legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin.
Toobin wrote on X that the court’s decision to hear arguments in late April as to whether or not Trump has total immunity could mean that the former president will likely only face one of his four trials before Election Day.
The “ruling is a gift to Trump, even if the Justices ultimately rule against him on immunity. A decision in late June makes a D.C. trial on 1/6 issues nearly impossible. 3/25 NYC trial in the Stormy case will be the only Trump criminal trial before Election Day,” wrote Toobin.
Politico’s Kyle Cheney also noted, “The court’s decision to keep the pretrial proceedings frozen is a blow to special counsel Jack Smith’s effort to bring Trump to trial this year. Smith has charged Trump with four felonies stemming from his bid to subvert the 2020 presidential election.”
Smith, who works for the Department of Justice, may face additional questions
Other pundits sounded their frustration with the court for aiding Trump in his bid to delay the trial.
The Atlantic’s Tom Nichols wrote, “This is incredible and an utter embarrassment to the court. I really thought that this was the one step that they would not take. I guess I underestimated them yet again.”
Puck’s Eriq Gardner added, “Unsurprisingly surprising.”
CNN’s Norm Eisen took a somewhat more optimistic view, writing, “SCOTUS should reject Trump’s immunity claim ASAP after the April 22 oral argument. If they do, it’s still possible to begin this trial in 2024–as the public interest demands.”
Many observers have long argued that Trump’s 2024 presidential bid is fueled in part by his desire to return to office and shutdown the various prosecutions against him.