Trump mocked as he decides against appealing civil immunity claim over Jan 6 lawsuits to Supreme Court

WASHINGTON, DC: The lawsuits seeking to hold Donald Trump personally liable for his involvement in the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol building can proceed as the former POTUS has declined to take his sweeping immunity assertion to the Supreme Court.

He had until Thursday, February 15, to file a petition at the Supreme Court challenging a December 2023 appeals court ruling that dismissed his immunity arguments, but he chose not to do so, according to NBC News.

The appeals court clarified that Trump may still assert his immunity defense later in the proceedings in the three lawsuits brought by Capitol Police officers and members of Congress.

Steven Cheung, a spokesman of the GOP frontrunner, said, "President Trump will continue to fight for presidential immunity all across the spectrum." 

Donald Trump can still appeal for immunity when the January 6 lawsuits proceed to the district court 

The legal proceedings against Trump that arose from the events of January 6, 2021, involve both civil and criminal cases.

While the former is separate from the latter, the ex-POTUS' legal team has recently requested that the criminal cases against the 77-year-old MAGA figurehead be put on hold on grounds of immunity.

Specifically, they have argued that the actions taken by him on that day were within the scope of his presidential duties, which should shield him from civil liability.

However, the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has rejected this argument, ruling that Trump was acting as a political candidate running for office rather than as the president of the United States and thus is not entitled to immunity.

However, the court stated that when the cases proceed to the district court, Trump "must be afforded the opportunity to develop his own facts on the immunity question" in order to demonstrate he was operating in his official role.

At that time, he may file another motion to dismiss the lawsuits that have been brought against him.

Plaintiffs are steadfast in seeking Donald Trump accountable

The civil immunity case has James Blassingame as the lead plaintiff, a Capitol Police officer who suffered injuries in the January 6 insurrection.

Several lawmakers, who were present at the Capitol on that day, are also among the plaintiffs in multiple lawsuits that have been consolidated on appeal.

Kristy Parker, a lawyer for plaintiffs in one of the cases, stated, "We look forward to moving on with proving our claims and getting justice for our Capitol Police officer clients who were injured defending our democracy from Defendant Trump."

Trump's legal arguments in this case share similarities with those in his criminal case, as he endeavors to prevent a trial from taking place prior to the November election.

In the criminal case, a separate panel of judges within the appeals court declined the Republican presidential frontrunner's immunity claim while refraining from explicitly addressing whether his actions were official acts.

Instead, the court presumed that his actions were most likely official acts and proceeded to ascertain that even in that scenario, Trump could not assert immunity claims.

Internet ridicules Donald Trump for not opting against Supreme Court appeal on civil immunity claim

Soon after the news of Trump and his legal team's decision to opt against appealing to the SCOTUS on civil immunity claim in January 6 lawsuits came to light, netizens flocked to share their stance on social media. 

One remarked, "He knows he lost," and another noted, "When he loses all these cases he needs to reimburse the people for court fees, lawyers fees, and any affiliated legal costs."

A person said, "bout time he stopped such a frivolous and ridiculous claim. He thinks he can control the world. He should be in prison for Jan. 6," while someone else wondered, "What’s the catch in this turnaround vs. more stalling to delay the trial? There must be an explanation, which benefits his legal defense."

"He will wait then do it later to delay longer," opined an individual. 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.