Stephen Colbert had some strong words for the Supreme Court. He called them “unconstitutional” when they agreed to look at Donald Trump’s claim of immunity in a case about election interference. This delay pushes the trial back even further.
Ripping a New One
The special counsel, Jack Smith, had asked the Supreme Court to decide on this back in December. But they took over two weeks to respond, despite a lower court already rejecting Trump’s immunity claim. Colbert pointed out that this adds up to 19 weeks of delays for the trial. He joked that the proceedings have been delayed so long, they could legally be considered children in Alabama.
He also questioned if the justices understand the damage they’re doing to the court’s reputation by stalling on such an important issue for democracy. Colbert mentioned a survey from 2022 that found only 18% of Americans have a lot of confidence in the court. He emphasized that the court’s power comes from the public’s trust.
Overall, Colbert’s message was clear: the Supreme Court needs to act quickly and decisively on this issue to protect democracy.
A Controversial Decision
The Supreme Court decided on Wednesday to look into whether former President Donald Trump can be tried for allegedly plotting to change the outcome of the 2020 election. They told a lower court to keep its ruling on hold that said Trump couldn’t be prosecuted, and they’re planning to discuss the case in late April.
Trump got charged in August 2023 because of what Special Counsel Jack Smith found in his investigation of the January 6, 2021, Capitol attacks. Originally, the trial was supposed to start on March 4, 2024, but Judge Tanya Chutkan canceled that and said she’d set a new date once they figure out if Trump can be prosecuted.
Trump claimed that he should not be charged because of presidential immunity. Chutkan already said Trump couldn’t avoid the charges because he’s not immune. Smith asked the Supreme Court in December to look at this decision right away, but the Court said no, and now they’re getting to it in April.
