starts now. tonight on the reidout fundamentally a second trump term could mean the end of american democracy as we know it. he s literally called for things like doing away with parts of the constitution. wanting to weaponize the doj to enact revenge on his political enemies. we re running out of time in order to try to stop trump from being in the oval office again. former trump staffers warn the nation, the threat is real. and democracy is at stake as we enter this presidential election year. michael fanone, one of the heroes of january 6th, joins me tonight. also, two weeks to iowa. and desantis and haley are still treating the front-runner donald trump oh, so gently. as if they don t really want to win. plus, he was paid by the trump campaign to find proof of widespread election fraud in 2020. he found none. and told them so. they continued to push the big lie anyway. ken block is my guest tonight. good evening, everyone. happy new year. i hope you enjo
as donald trump makes a third bid for the white house and is the the first votes are to be cast in iowa in just under two weeks. trump s lawyers say the 234-year unbroken tradition of not prosecuting the presidents for official acts, despite calls to do so from across the political spectrum, provides powerl evidence. no president prior toth donald trump tried to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power. had his attorneys point to the likelihood of mushrooming prosecutions. and future cycles. the ex-the president snlt prolsing retribution. his al lies aren t the ones plotting to end the independence of the justice department. the most audacious argument, one yesterday. on this program donald trump cannot be tri a criminal court for role in the january 6th insurrectn because heas acquitted by the senate during his second impeachment the new york times reports both legal perts have disdegreed with that position. not least because the federal charges he s facing are not analogous
january 6th select committee hearings, judge luttig called out donald trump and his cronies as a clear and present danger to american democracy. you will recall that when the disgraced twice impeached four times indicted ex-president was pressuring mike pence to help him overturn the 2020 election results, pence in his moment of legal need called judge luttig for advice and in no uncertain terms he told mike pence that legally and constitutionally he could not help trump do what he wanted to do. now judge luttig is sounding the alarm again, about another constitutional question. does trump s role in the insurrection, not just make him a really, really bad choice to be the commander in chief, but does it actually bar him from ever holding office again? judge luttig argues that under the 14th amendment trump is actually prohibited from ever being the president again. judge luttig s legal theory is being adjudicated in multiple courts in multiple states right now. judge luttig h
There is a possibility they may see some opportunity for some immunity for some president ial decisions. If they decide it that way, it may have to go back down to the District Court which could cause further delay. I appreciate you not being sidetracked by somebody who apparently wants to scream louder than anybody else. Catherine, the lower courts have been unanimous that trump cannot claim immunity. Does that tell you something . I cant imagine theyre going to say a former president has absolute immunity for criminal acts. What will be a win for donald trump is if theyre saying were sending it back to judge chutkan to determine which, if any he would have immunity for and which he would not. Thats a win because that would delay the trial, which is already delayed. So what of course obviously jack smith and Special Counsel is hoping for, a majority of the court will just say, no, absolute immunity from Criminal Prosecution for a former president and clearly jack smith would say this
The Us Supreme Court or historic arguments are about to unfold testing former president Donald Trumps unprecedented claim of absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for his attempts to overturn his 2020 election defeat. The hub couldnt determine if the Presumptive Republican president ial nominees federal election subversion trial happens before this year is 2024. Election or at all . Im Kaitlan Collins outside of the high court and im Anderson Cooper over looking at Manhattan Criminal Courthouse while the Supreme Court hears trumps Immunity Case the former president is here in New York City in the midst of His First Criminal Trial For Hush Money Scheme allegedly aimed at helping his 2016 president ial campaign the leadoff witness, former National Enquirer executive david pecker resumes his testimony soon, recovering. Both of these monumental cases in the hours ahead. Im jake tapper in washington and this is cnn Special Coverage, the trump Immunity Battle at the Us Supreme Court ab