Politics
Trump's claim of presidential immunity rejected by D.C. appellate court
A District of Columbia appellate court panel on Thursday unanimously rejected former President Trump’s claim that he is immune from prosecution on criminal charges that he plotted to overturn the 2020 election results.
“For the purpose of this criminal case, former President Trump has become citizen Trump, with all of the defenses of any other criminal defendant. But any executive immunity that may have protected him while he served as president no longer protects him against this prosecution,” the three judge panel write in their opinion.
The decision is likely to be quickly appealed to the Supreme Court. Trump has until Feb. 12 to appeal, according to the opinion.
Last month the high court refused an emergency appeal by special counsel Jack Smith to take the case before the appellate court weighed in.
Now that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has ruled, the Supreme Court may agree to resolve the constitutional question raised by Trump’s claims, or it could let the appellate ruling stand, which would amount to a defeat for Trump. The former president has signaled plans to use presidential immunity as a defense in all four of his criminal cases.
What happens next in the immunity case will likely determine whether Trump’s election interference trial begins as scheduled March 4. Pretrial filings have been on hold since December and the judge had already indicated that the trial might have to be moved.
Trump is charged with four federal felonies including conspiring to obstruct the official certification of President Biden’s election victory and seeking to defraud Americans of their rightful votes.
Trump’s lawyers say the criminal charges should be thrown out on the grounds that a former president cannot be charged with a crime for his “official acts” while in the White House.
Trump and his legal team argued that a president cannot make necessary decisions for the country if they are worried about potentially facing criminal charges when they leave office.
“Any mistake, even if well intended, would be met with almost certain indictment by the opposing party at term end,” Trump said in an all-capital letters Truth Social post Jan. 20. “Even events that ‘cross the line’ must fall under total immunity, or it will be years of trauma trying to determine good from bad.”
His lawyers told the court that impeachment is the proper form of punishment.
Trump was impeached by the House twice, including for his alleged efforts to remain in office, but he was not convicted by the Senate.
Smith, who is prosecuting Trump, argued that criminal charges can be brought once a president leaves office, particularly for actions that don’t relate to his official duties. That includes, Smith says, Trump’s efforts to overturn the election results.
The special counsel says it would be dangerous for the courts to rule that a president or former president has total immunity from criminal charges.
The three-member D.C. panel included Judge Karen Henderson, an appointee of President George H.W. Bush, and Judges J. Michelle Childs and Florence Pan, both Biden appointees.
Politics
Who Is Coming to the Inauguration — and Who Isn’t
Three of the richest men in the world, foreign dignitaries, tech and business executives, former presidents and an assortment of performers and other celebrities are on the guest list for President-elect Donald J. Trump’s inauguration on Monday, even as much of the midday ceremony has been moved indoors amid forecasts of extreme cold.
It is unclear what impact, if any, the relocation of Mr. Trump’s second swearing-in ceremony into the Capitol Rotunda will have on the seating arrangements. Unlike the outdoor venue, the Capitol Rotunda only seats about 600 people.
Four years ago, Mr. Trump skipped President Biden’s inauguration in a snub to his political rival. Every living former president is set to witness his return to power, but some prominent Democrats are opting out.
Here’s the list of those who are planning to attend the inauguration, and notable no-shows.
Going
Billionaires, businessmen and tech executives
Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos, three of the world’s wealthiest men, were reported to be among the major tech executives who would sit in a position of honor on the dais at Mr. Trump’s inauguration — before the event was moved indoors. Tim Cook, the chief executive of Apple, and Shou Chew, the chief executive of the imperiled social media app TikTok, had also been invited to sit on the dais.
Seating for other high-dollar donors from the business world was already highly competitive even before the last-minute move indoors. Some offered donations to Mr. Trump’s inaugural committee as high as $1 million without receiving any access to the inauguration or accompanying receptions in return.
World leaders
China’s vice president, Han Zheng, will attend the inauguration on behalf of Xi Jinping, whom Mr. Trump had invited to the inauguration.
Unlike at the inaugurations of President Biden and former President Barack Obama, a number of other world leaders will be in attendance. Many of them share Mr. Trump’s ideology and policy preferences.
From Latin America, Javier Milei, the right-wing populist president of Argentina, is reportedly planning to make an appearance. Jair Bolsonaro, the former president of Brazil and another right-wing populist, had intended to attend, but his passport was previously seized by federal police in Brazil and his request to a Brazilian Supreme Court justice to make the trip was denied.
From Europe, Giorgia Meloni, the right-wing prime minister of Italy, affirmed that she planned to attend. The press secretary of Viktor Orban, the prime minister of Hungary who has a friendly rapport with Mr. Trump, told a Hungarian media outlet that the prime minister had received an invitation but would not be attending.
Three representatives from key U.S. allies in the Asia-Pacific region will also be attending: S. Jaishankar, the external affairs minister for India; Penny Wong, the foreign minister of Australia; and Takeshi Iwaya, the foreign minister of Japan.
Trump’s presidential predecessors
Mr. Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton will all attend Mr. Trump’s inauguration — as they did his first inauguration, eight years ago. They will not, however, attend a traditional lunch with the president-elect on that day, according to NBC News.
Former Vice President Mike Pence is also planning to attend the inauguration, according to two people with knowledge of the planning. He received an invitation, as is the custom for all former presidents and vice presidents.
Celebrity invitees
Carrie Underwood will sing “America the Beautiful” at Mr. Trump’s inauguration, according to a program of events. Victor Willis, the last surviving founding member of the Village People — whose music Mr. Trump frequently plays at this political rallies — announced on Facebook on Monday that the group had accepted an invitation to participate in Mr. Trump’s inaugural activities.
NBC News also reported that several athletes and musicians would be in attendance: They include Antonio Brown, the football player; Mike Tyson, the boxer; Jorge Masvidal, the martial arts fighter; and Evander Kane, the hockey player. The musicians Anuel AA, Justin Quiles, Rod Wave, Kodak Black and Fivio Foreign will also attend, NBC said.
Not Going
Michelle Obama
Mr. Obama is scheduled to attend, but Michelle Obama, the former first lady, will not. A statement from Mrs. Obama’s office did not specify a reason for the scheduled absence but noted that she had not attended another event this month: She did not accompany her husband to the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter, which every other living former president and first lady attended.
Nancy Pelosi
Representative Nancy Pelosi, the former speaker of the House and a chief antagonist of Mr. Trump during his first term in office, will also skip the inauguration. Ms. Pelosi, 84, is still recovering from a hip replacement after falling while on an official trip to Luxembourg, but she has been attending votes in the House. A spokesman would not specify why she would not attend, but there is long-running acrimony between Mr. Trump and Ms. Pelosi.
A number of House Democrats are also skipping the inauguration
Democratic members of Congress who have announced or told reporters of their plans to skip the inauguration include: Representative Adam Smith of Washington, Representative Judy Chu of California, Representative Delia Ramirez of Illinois, Representative Donald S. Beyer Jr. of Virginia, Representative Steve Cohen of Tennessee, Representative Jasmine Crockett of Texas, Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Representative Veronica Escobar of Texas.
Politics
Trump wants to visit China again after he takes office: report
President-elect Trump is discussing the possibility of visiting China again as president with aides, according to a report.
The incoming president, who takes office on Monday, visited Beijing during his first term in 2017, and spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping over the phone on Friday.
Trump has been threatening China with tariffs but has told advisers that he wants to strengthen ties with the communist country with the visit, possibly even traveling there within his first 100 days in office, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
“I just spoke to Chairman Xi Jinping of China. The call was a very good one for both China and the U.S.A.,” Trump wrote on Friday on Truth Social. “It is my expectation that we will solve many problems together, and starting immediately. We discussed balancing Trade, Fentanyl, TikTok, and many other subjects. President Xi and I will do everything possible to make the World more peaceful and safe!”
HOUSE DEMS THREATEN TO BLOCK TRUMP’S BIG TARIFF PLANS: ‘UNACCEPTABLE’
He didn’t say if they had spoken about a visit.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Trump transition team for comment.
It is also possible Xi could come to the White House for a visit, the Journal reported.
TRUMP LEAVES CHINA GUESSING WHAT HIS NEXT MOVE IS WITH UNUSUAL INAUGURATION INVITATION
Xi also met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Florida in 2017.
Xi was invited to Trump’s Monday inauguration – no senior Chinese official has ever attended a U.S. presidential inauguration – but Chinese Vice President Han Zheng will be attending instead, in a first.
Trump and Xi plan to establish a strategic communication channel, China said of their Friday phone call, adding that Trump said he was “looking forward to meeting with President Xi as soon as possible.”
Trump has also mentioned the possibility of going to India to aides, the Journal reported.
Politics
Trump expected to survey Los Angeles-area wildfire damage next week
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump will likely visit the Los Angeles area next week to view the wildfire damage, he said on Saturday. The trip is expected to be his first outside the nation’s capital after being inaugurated Monday.
“I will be, probably, at the end of the week. I was going to go, actually yesterday, but I thought it would be better if I went as president,” Trump told NBC’s Kristen Welker in a phone interview. “It’s a little bit more appropriate, I suspect.”
Representatives for Trump did not respond to requests for comment on Saturday.
At least 27 people have died and more than 12,000 structures have been destroyed during the catastrophic fires in Pacific Palisades, Altadena and surrounding communities. Asked whether he would sign disaster relief for the region after being inaugurated, Trump said his response will be conditioned to demand policy changes in California.
“We’re going to be [looking] at it from a lot of standpoints,” he said. “We’re going to be demanding that the water be released from the north into the lower parts of California.”
Asked whether he has spoken with Gov. Gavin Newsom, who Trump has called on to resign over his wildfire response, the president-elect said he had not.
Newsom’s office invited Trump to view the devastation last week.
The governor’s office said that the president-elect’s transition team acknowledged receipt of the invitation but had not otherwise responded.
“As our invitation says, we hope Trump comes to California to see the devastation, to meet firefighters and survivors, and to get the facts instead of sniping from the sidelines,” the governor’s office said in a statement Saturday.
Times staff writer Taryn Luna in Sacramento contributed to this report.
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