Trump Was Just Handed a Legal Reprieve

In becoming the first convicted felon ever to win the presidency, Donald Trump has pulled off a remarkable escape. "Staring down four potential criminal trials on 91 charges and decades in prison ... Trump staked his defense on winning back the White House, a strategy that has now paid off," per the Hill. Indeed, "he beat the system that tried to put him in jail" as "his victory virtually guarantees that he will never face serious legal accountability for an avalanche of alleged wrongdoing," per Politico. More:

• Federal cases: With control of the Justice Department as president, Trump will have the authority to shut down the two federal cases against him, per Reuters. Special Counsel Jack Smith brought charges over Trump's attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss and retention of classified documents and is currently appealing the dismissal of those charges. But Trump has vowed to fire Smith "within two seconds" of taking office.

• State cases: Trump won't have the power to halt the state cases against him. But with him facing up to four years in prison at his Nov. 26 sentencing in New York for the hush money scheme to influence the 2016 election, his lawyers are expected to ask that the case be put on hold. They'll likely do the same in Georgia, where Trump is accused of trying to subvert the 2020 election.
• It comes down to precedent: "Presidents have long been understood to have broad immunity from prosecution while they are in office," per Politico. "And many legal experts, citing the principle that national interests prevail over state interests, believe the courts will never allow a state-level prosecutor ... to pursue criminal charges against a sitting president."
• Civil cases: The president-elect is also likely to brush off civil lawsuits, arguing that "proceeding with the lawsuits would interfere with his ability to execute his duties," per Politico. "And he could use the power of the presidency to pressure the plaintiffs who have sued him." Trump is appealing a penalty of more than $450 million in a fraud case out of Manhattan as well as $88 million in penalties for two judgments related to the defamation of writer E. Jean Carroll. He also faces lawsuits from police officers and members of Congress related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

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