Appeals judges question Trump’s immunity defense in 2020 election case: Recap

Arguments were heard in federal court in Washington Tuesday, where a panel of appeals judges weighed whether former President Trump can be prosecuted for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election before he left the White House.

Trump and his legal team argued he has absolute immunity because he was acting in his official capacity as president and that he can’t be prosecuted on a matters in which he was impeached by the House but acquitted by the Senate.

A 45-page indictment released in August from special counsel Jack Smith puts Trump at the center of a lawless campaign to block the transfer of power, charging him with defrauding the United States and other crimes. Trump has denied any wrongdoing.

The federal election interference case is just one of several criminal cases Trump faces in 2024, which hasn’t put much of a dent in his double-digit lead ahead of his GOP primary opponents.

Follow below for live updates from the courthouse in Washington.