Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday criticized what he called the federal appeals court's “nation-destroying” ruling that said Trump is not immune from prosecution for alleged crimes he committed during his presidency to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Trump, in a Truth Social post, said that “a president of the United States must have full immunity in order to function properly and do what needs to be done for the good of our country,” and called for the ruling to be overturned.
“A president will be afraid to act for fear of cruel retaliation from the opposite party after leaving office,” he posted, saying that “he will become a political weapon.”
What the appeals court said: In the ruling, the judges determined that, if proven, the former president's efforts to usurp the 2020 presidential election constituted an “unprecedented assault on the structure of our government.” The judges also flatly rejected Trump's claim that criminal prosecution of him would have a “chilling effect” on future presidents.
In rejecting Trump's immunity arguments, the appeals panel also said the public interest in holding a potentially criminal president accountable outweighed potential negative impacts on the office of the presidency.
