 Trump's lawyers argued Trump cannot be criminally charged for any official actions he took as president. Special Counsel Jack Smith, meantime, says no person is above the law, including the president of the United States. In December, a federal judge refused to dismiss the charges against the former president. And in February, a U.S. appeals court unanimously rejected Trump's claims that he cannot be prosecuted. During arguments in April, the court appeared skeptical of embracing Trump's proclamation of absolute immunity. But some justices seemed open to granting some level of protection for