Jan. 6 committee plans to issue criminal referrals along with its final report
NBCJUL 2022
Though there is some legal precedent to lend Trump immunity for his vitriolic rhetoric in the lead-up to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, the former president is on shaky ground. There is plainly no constitutional or legislative authority for an incumbent president to encourage the violent disruption of a congressional proceeding — especially one constitutionally mandated for the democratic transfer of power. The court should make sure that Trump is not given immunity.
Regardless of what the former president said, Trump should be granted the same immunity his predecessors enjoyed. Indicting a former president would almost certainly lead to more division in an already polarized country — not to mention the fact that it would set a dangerous precedent regarding the degree to which politicians are responsible for the acts of their supporters.