Trump warns ‘it will be bedlam’ if he loses presidential immunity case | US News

Ex-President Donald Trump warned that ‘bedlam’ will be unleashed in the US if he loses his claim that presidential immunity protects him from 2020 election fraud charges.

Speaking at the Waldorf Astoria hotel after appearing in court in Washington, DC, Trump accused Democrats of trying to stop him from pursuing the White House by using a criminal case.

‘They’re losing in every poll. They’re losing in almost every demographic. And I think they feel this is the way they’re going to try and win,’ said Trump on Tuesday afternoon.

‘And that’s not the way it goes, it will be bedlam in the country.

‘It’s a very bad thing, it’s a very bad precedent – as we said, it’s the opening of Pandora’s box, it’s a very sad thing that’s happened with this whole situation.’

A three-judge panel on the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit expressed skepticism around Trump’s argument that a former president who has not been impeached and convicted by Congress cannot be prosecuted for a crime linked to the office.

Special counsel Jack Smith has charged Trump with conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 election and committing fraud to try to remain commander-in-chief. Trump has argued that he was carrying out his presidential duties on the day of the January 6 insurrection and weeks before it, and therefore cannot be criminally charged.

The ex-president told reporters at what was formerly Trump hotel that his actions after the 2020 election including on January 6 were covered by presidential immunity. Trump again called the election ‘rigged’ and made false claims about it.

‘I worked very hard on voter fraud because we have to have free elections. And we found tremendous voter fraud. We have a list of it, we have some findings if you want it,’ he said. ‘Press doesn’t like reporting it but we found tremendous voter fraud. Determinative. But we worked on that, that’s what I was doing.’

Trump did not take questions from the press – including if he would discourage his supporters from creating bedlam.

The former president displayed little emotion during the hearing that lasted about an hour and 15 minutes.

Assistant Special Counsel James Pearce said that ‘the president has a unique constitutional role, but he is not above the law’.

Trump nodded as his lawyer, John Sauer, said he was being ‘prosecuted by the administration that he’s seeking to replace’.

‘That is the frightening future that is tailor made to launch cycles of recrimination that will shake our Republic for the future,’ said Sauer.

Trump cast the landmark legal case as putting not only himself but his political opponent Joe Biden at risk of prosecution after leaving office.

‘When they talk about a threat to democracy, that’s the real threat to democracy,’ Trump said.

Trump’s lawyer said that if the appeals court rules against him, he will appeal the decision. Smith had requested that the Supreme Court fast-track the case so the trail would begin in March as planned, but was denied. The appeals court has expedited the case, but when a decision will be issued is not yet known.

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