Ex-Prosecutor Criticizes Trump's Filing to Supreme Court as 'Incredibly Inappropriate'

Andrew Weissmann criticizes Donald Trump's Supreme Court filing

Former federal prosecutor Andrew Weissmann criticized Donald Trump's filing to the U.S. Supreme Court, describing the opening sentence as "incredibly inappropriate."

Trump’s claim of "total immunity"

The filing, in which Trump’s lawyers argued he should have “total immunity” for potential criminal acts committed while in office, began with a quote attributed to the late New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra, which Weissmann found "bizarre."

Weissmann's reaction

"If you were going to be snarky, they might as well have cited Yogi Bear," Weissmann said during an interview with MSNBC’s Alicia Menendez, expressing his surprise at the unconventional choice of opening sentence. Weissmann pointed out that Trump’s legal team essentially argues that the President of the United States cannot be prosecuted for serious offenses as long as he hasn't been successfully impeached and convicted for them.

Legal implications

He characterized the filing's opening sentence as demonstrating a "real tin ear" and emphasized the gravity of the case in question. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled earlier this month that Trump did not enjoy absolute immunity as president, implying that he could potentially face prosecution in the D.C. election subversion case and three other criminal cases.