Supreme Court arguments begin over Trump’s claim of absolute immunity from prosecution

By MARK SHERMAN
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court arguments have begun over whether former President Donald Trump can avoid prosecution over his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. The justices on Thursday are taking up for the first time whether a former president has absolute immunity from criminal charges for actions he took while in office, as Trump claims. He is the first former president to be charged with crimes. The timing of the court’s decision could be as important as the outcome. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has been pushing to delay the trial until after the November election The later the justices decide, the more likely he is to succeed.