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Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance has claimed that Special Counsel Jack Smith’s new superseding indictment against Former President Donald Trump is an attempt to “influence the election.”
Let’s bring you up to speed: Yesterday, Special counsel Jack Smith filed a superseding indictment against former President Trump following the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity. The new indictment by Smith has been revised and now focuses on Trump’s actions in a private capacity, including his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
What Vance said: While speaking to reporters, Senator Vance said, “It looks like Jack Smith doing more of what he does, which is filing these lawsuits in an effort to influence the election. The reason the Supreme Court threw out his lawsuit is because they said it implicated the president’s official acts — of course, which the president has immunity in conducting those official acts.”
What did the Supreme Court previously rule?: The Supreme Court’s ruling on Trump’s immunity confirmed that former presidents are broadly protected from prosecution for actions within the scope of their “official” duties. This decision clarified that even controversial actions directly tied to presidential powers are immune from legal challenges. However, it left open the possibility that actions taken in a personal capacity could still face legal scrutiny. Notably, Smith’s new indictment has removed references to Trump’s interactions with Justice Department officials —which is now protected under the Court’s ruling.
Trump reacts: In a statement on Truth Social, Trump said, “In an effort to resurrect a “dead” Witch Hunt in Washington, D.C., in an act of desperation, and in order to save face, the illegally appointed “Special Counsel” Deranged Jack Smith, has brought a ridiculous new Indictment against me, which has all the problems of the old Indictment, and should be dismissed IMMEDIATELY. His Florida Document Hoax Case has been completely dismissed. This is merely an attempt to INTERFERE WITH THE ELECTION, and distract the American People from the catastrophes Kamala Harris has inflicted on our Nation, like the Border Invasion, Migrant Crime, Rampant Inflation, the threat of World War III, and more….”
