When he was president, Donald Trumptried to make the Supreme Court his own.
He bragged that he could have his way, beginning with his appointment of justices who, he vowed, would overturn Roe v. Wade. And when his administration lost immigration disputes in lower courts, his social media refrain was, “See you at the Supreme Court.”
Now Trump is counting on the court in a very personal way as citizen and candidate. The nine-member bench is dominated by six conservative justices, three of whom he nominated.
On Thursday, the court will hear his claim of absolute immunity from criminal prosecution. It’s an argument that Trump hopes will keep him from facing trial on federal chargesbrought by special counsel Jack Smitharising from the former president’s actions after he lost the 2020 presidential election.