Court rules Trump is not immune from criminal prosecution

Tòa phán ông Trump không được miễn trừ truy tố hình sự- Ảnh 1. — Mr. Trump is expected to appeal the court's latest ruling.

CNN reported on February 7 that a federal appeals court had just ruled that Mr. Donald Trump was not immune from prosecution as a former president and could therefore be tried on charges of conspiring to overthrow the 2020 election results.

The three-judge panel said Mr Trump's assertion that he was immune from criminal liability for actions committed while in office "is not supported by precedent, history or the text or structure of the Constitution".

"Former President Trump's position would collapse our system of separation of powers by placing the presidency beyond the reach of all three branches. We cannot accept that the office of the presidency places those who once held its office above the law for the duration," the ruling said.

The ruling is a major legal setback for Mr. Trump, the leading candidate for the Republican Party's nomination for president this year and the first former president to be criminally prosecuted.

A spokesman said Mr Trump planned to appeal.

Writing on his social media network Truth Social, Mr Trump criticised the ruling and said it meant "a president will be afraid to act for fear of being punished by the opposition party after leaving office".

"An American president must have full immunity to function normally and do what must be done for the good of our country. A judgment that destroys the nation like this cannot be allowed to stand," he wrote.

The appeals court paused the ruling until February 12 to give Mr. Trump a chance to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, which could decide whether to accept the case or allow the lower court's ruling to stand.

Mr. Trump is scheduled to go on trial in Washington DC on March 4 on charges of conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 election won by Democratic candidate Joe Biden.

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