WASHINGTON: Federal judge has dismissed the criminal case against former President Donald Trump, who faced allegations of illegally attempting to overturn the 2020 election results. The decision followed a request from special prosecutor Jack Smith, who cited a longstanding Department of Justice policy that bars the prosecution of a sitting president.
Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled to dismiss the case without prejudice, meaning the charges could be refiled once Trump finishes his second term in office. Smith had also filed a similar request to dismiss the case involving Trump’s handling of classified documents, which remains under legal review.
In the filing, Smith emphasized that the decision to drop the charges was not based on the strength or merit of the case but on constitutional protections afforded to a sitting president. It has long been the position of the Department of Justice that the United States Constitution forbids the federal indictment and subsequent criminal prosecution of a sitting President, Smith wrote, adding that the dismissal would not be the final word on the matter.
Trump, who has pleaded not guilty in both cases, took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to respond to the developments. He described the federal cases as “empty and lawless” and insisted that they were politically motivated. “It was a political hijacking, and a low point in the history of our country that such a thing could have happened, and yet, I persevered, against all odds,” Trump wrote.
This latest ruling is just one part of Trump’s ongoing legal challenges. After leaving office, Trump became the first former president to face criminal trials, including one related to a payment made to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels. Despite this, a significant portion of his legal troubles has been linked to efforts to challenge the 2020 election results, with Smith’s office accusing him of conspiring to block the certification of Joe Biden’s victory.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Trump could not be prosecuted for official acts conducted during his presidency. This ruling had a direct impact on the case concerning his efforts to subvert the election results, forcing Smith to refile charges in a manner that focused on actions taken as part of Trump’s campaign rather than his duties as president.
Smith’s request to dismiss the election subversion charges, which follows a series of legal hurdles, marks the end of a protracted legal saga. However, the special counsel is still pursuing an appeal in the case concerning classified documents, in which Trump is accused of improperly storing sensitive files at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and obstructing government efforts to retrieve them. Trump’s legal team is fighting to have the charges dropped, with Trump-appointed Judge Aileen Cannon initially dismissing the case before an appeals court intervened.
Meanwhile, the political landscape has shifted with Trump’s return to the White House in the 2024 elections. His victory has prompted questions about the future of his ongoing legal challenges. Some of the cases, such as those in Georgia, are still in progress, but experts suggest that many of his federal legal issues may be delayed or dismissed due to his status as president.
In Georgia, Trump faces charges related to election subversion, and a court is currently deliberating whether to allow the case to continue. Similarly, a criminal conviction in New York has been delayed indefinitely, and some of Trump’s associates are also facing legal consequences for their alleged roles in the events surrounding the 2020 election.
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For many of Trump’s supporters and critics, the legal battles reflect the deepening political divide in the country. Vice President-elect JD Vance argued that the prosecutions were politically motivated, adding that had Trump lost the 2020 election, he might have faced prison time instead. If Donald J. Trump had lost an election, he may very well have spent the rest of his life in prison, Vance wrote on social media.
Trump has frequently claimed that these legal battles are part of a broader effort to undermine his political influence. He has also vowed to remove Jack Smith from his position if he regains the presidency, a promise that would likely intensify the legal and political confrontations.
Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani emphasized that the legal situation facing Trump could shift significantly with his return to office. “It’s well established that a sitting president can’t be prosecuted,” Rahmani said, suggesting that Trump’s criminal cases might effectively dissolve with his victory.
As the legal challenges surrounding Trump continue, many of his state-level cases remain in limbo, with key decisions still pending. The dismissal of the federal election subversion case has marked a significant moment in the long-running saga, but Trump’s legal future remains uncertain, and his political comeback is shaping up to be a central theme in the upcoming years.
