US urges appeals court to reject Trump immunity claim in 2020 election case

FILE PHOTO: Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Ted Hendricks Stadium in Hialeah, Florida, U.S. November 8, 2023. REUTERS/Octavio Jones/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors on Saturday urged a federal appeals court to reject former President Donald Trump’s claim that he cannot face criminal charges for seeking to overturn his defeat in the 2020 election.

Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is overseeing the prosecution, argued in a court filing that nothing in the U.S. Constitution or American legal tradition supports giving former presidents “absolute immunity” from criminal charges for action taken while in office.