Former DOJ Official Dubs Trump's New Legal Argument 'Ridiculous': '100% Bogus'

Former acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal has deemed Donald Trump‘s recent bid to avoid trial in his federal election interference case as “ridiculous.”

What Happened: U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan dismissed Trump's presidential immunity claim, stating that the immunity he had while in office does not provide a “lifelong ‘get-out-of-jail-free' pass.”

Katyal, in conversation with MSNBC's Jen Psaki, forecasted that Trump's efforts to appeal the decision would fail, and the trial is expected to proceed as scheduled on March 4.

Katyal said everything Trump says "is bogus, like 100% bogus."

"I've taught constitution like 20 times at Georgetown, I've been the president's top lawyer before the Supreme Court and I can tell you nobody thinks this is the law."

Katyal, a constitutional scholar and former top lawyer for the president before the Supreme Court, dismissed Trump’s legal strategy as entirely meritless. He asserted that even a novice student wouldn’t defend such an argument, reminiscent of Richard Nixon.

Katyal added that the former president’s argument wasn’t a “good faith argument about the Constitution” as no scholar would back Trump's interpretation. He concluded that these tactics are simply attempts at delay.

"Basically, they're just saying Donald Trump can't be tried on any day of the week that ends in the letter Y. It's ridiculous," he said.

Why It Matters: Despite facing 91 felony charges linked to his past campaigns and mishandling of classified documents, Trump remains the clear frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination. The latest Morning Consult poll of GOP voters showed Trump with a comfortable 50-point lead over his Republican opponents. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ranked second with 14% of support from GOP voters.

Meanwhile, the former White House chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, hinted at Trump's possible participation in the fourth GOP debate.

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