The new indictment targets Trump's private actions to stay in power
Special prosecutor Jack Smith has filed a new indictment against Donald Trump. It concerns the former president's attempts to remain in power despite losing the election. The new, streamlined indictment considers the Supreme Court ruling from July 1, which granted Trump partial immunity.
In the new indictment, approved by a new grand jury, investigators still charge Trump with the same allegations related to his actions aimed at overturning the election results and staying in power. However, they limit it to Trump's private actions.
Mentions of the pressure exerted by the then-president on the Department of Justice to support his narrative of a "stolen" election, despite the lack of evidence, have disappeared from the original indictment. In a precedent-setting ruling at the beginning of July, the Supreme Court determined that the president's official actions—those related to his core duties as head of state—are protected by "absolute" immunity. The court recognized that this includes the president's communications with members of his administration.
New indictment shorter by 9 pages
In the new indictment—9 pages shorter than the original—investigators focus on the actions of Trump and his associates conducted in their private capacity.
The new indictment was filed 70 days before the elections, ten days before the cutoff date, and it excluded the possibility of charging political candidates. Despite this, it is practically impossible for the trial to commence before the November presidential elections.
Trump responded to the prosecutor's action on his social media platform, TRUTH Social, by sharing a post suggesting that if he wins the election, he will fire the prosecutor and drop the charges against himself.
