Trump’s Legal Proceedings and Campaign Schedule Amidst Iowa Caucuses

With the Iowa caucuses just around the corner, former President Donald Trump has found himself in the midst of legal proceedings and campaigning. Trump’s legal battles, which include 91 counts in four different cases, have not deterred him from his White House ambitions. Instead, he and his allies have chosen to use these legal proceedings to showcase his perceived victimization by the government.

Trump’s court appearances have become a part of his campaign schedule, with him attending hearings in Washington, D.C., and New York, despite not being required to do so. His lawyers argue that presidents are exempt from criminal prosecution for actions taken while in office, unless they are first impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate.

The former president’s claim to presidential immunity is a key argument in his defense against charges of election interference. The delaying of his trials as long as possible is also a part of his defense strategy, as the federal election interference trial was scheduled to begin in early March but remains on pause while his immunity appeal is resolved.

Trump’s legal proceedings have not affected his status as the GOP frontrunner, according to polls. Despite spending much of his time traveling between court appearances, he has maintained his lead in the polls.

The quiet affair at the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals was not the campaign stop Trump may have hoped for. He was a silent participant in the proceedings, aside from conferring with his lawyers. The rainy weather may have dampened any prospects of a speech outside the courthouse.

After leaving the court, Trump made brief remarks at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Washington D.C., arguing that he was carrying out his job responsibilities as president when investigating voter fraud and should be immune from any prosecution of his actions.

Trump’s schedule has balanced campaign and court like no other candidate in history. He often ping pongs from one to the other in a matter of hours. For instance, on October 24, Trump flew to New Hampshire to file for the state’s presidential primary, before rallying supporters there. The next day, he was in New York watching his archnemesis, former lawyer and “fixer” Michael Cohen, testify in the fraud case against him.

Trump’s attendance at the court proceedings is a tactic he used during the civil fraud trial, where he and his adult sons are accused of falsifying the value of their assets and have been found liable for fraud. Trump attended the trial unfolding in a Manhattan courtroom nine times, though his appearance was only required once. He often talked to the press stationed outside of the courtroom entrance about various issues and framed the charges against him as “election interference.”

Trump is expected to attend closing arguments for his civil fraud trial on Thursday. However, Judge Arthur Engoron ruled that Trump would not be allowed to address the court. Trump faces a potential lifetime ban from the real estate industry in New York and a fine of $370 million.

A new CBS News poll found that most Americans disagree with Trump’s claims of presidential immunity. Over six in ten Americans, including a solid majority of independent voters, do not think Trump should have immunity from criminal prosecution for actions he took while he was president.

By contrast, most Republicans, including majorities of both MAGA identifiers and non-MAGA Republicans, believe Trump should be immune from criminal prosecution related to Jan. 6.

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In: Donald Trump
First published on January 10, 2024 / 8:40 PM EST

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