Name: PBS NewsHour full episode, Feb. 28, 2024
Uploaded: 2024-03-01T03:25:12.000Z
Duration: 52 min 55 s
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On the "NewsHour" tonight: The U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear arguments on whether

former President Donald Trump is immune from prosecution in the 2020 election interference

Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell announces he's stepping down from leadership after 17

GEOFF BENNETT: And the results of Michigan's presidential primary and the warning signs

they contain for the leading candidates of both parties.

The Supreme Court says it will now hear arguments over whether Donald Trump is immune from prosecution

for his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

GEOFF BENNETT: The justices have set oral arguments for the week of April 22.

Mr. Trump's pending trial in a federal court in Washington will stay on hold until then.

William Brangham has been following all of the Trump legal cases and joins us now.

And how might it affect the potential scheduling of Mr. Trump's January 6 case?

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Well, the justices, as you both just reported, said that they will take

up this question, which has been sort of simmering in the background of the whole January 6 election

And it is whether or not Donald Trump is immune from prosecution for any of his activities

This is a clear victory for Donald Trump and a clear blow to Jack Smith, the special counsel

Donald Trump, as we have reported, had wanted to dismiss that case and/or delay it as long

And the Supreme Court taking this up does exactly that.

This decision by the court is something of a surprise, simply because the bipartisan

rigor with which the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Trump's immunity appeal -- and

that's what kicked this up to the Supreme Court -- that seemed like such a strong ruling

that many people thought that the Supreme Court would not take this up.

So, to your question, Geoff, about timing, as you mentioned, hearings at the end of April.

If Trump wins that appeal and the Supreme Court decides that he does have immunity,

then the January 6 case goes away, as do many of other cases against the former president.

If the court rules against him that he does not have immunity, then the January 6 case

in Washington, D.C., could start likely by the end of summertime.

GEOFF BENNETT: And, William, remind us, what is the specific immunity argument that Mr.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Donald Trump argued, and his lawyers, that all of his behavior leading

up to the 2020 election, in the aftermath of that election, they were all part of his

official duties -- that's the official term there -- and that that is part of what the

president did, and thus he cannot be prosecuted for those acts.

He argues, his lawyers argue, that this would cripple future presidents and make it impossible

for them to make decisions about anything.

Special counsel Jack Smith has rejected that argument, as has the appeals court and the

judge overseeing the January 6 case, saying that, if a president gets complete immunity

for anything that they do while they're president, that just opens the floodgates for any potential

They argue that what the president did in all of the fake electors scheme and all of

the attempts to subvert the fact that Donald Trump lost to Joe Biden, that those were clearly

illegal, outside of the responsibilities of a president, and that, if you grant him immunity,

it basically capsizes any sense of accountability, allowing future presidents just endless freedom

That's what the court's going to rule on.

GEOFF BENNETT: William Brangham, our thanks to you for that reporting.

AMNA NAWAZ: A swirl of news at the U.S. Capitol today, where, this afternoon, the top four

leaders in Congress agreed to a deal to avert a partial government shutdown for at least

a week, that after one of those leaders, Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, announced he

will step down from leadership this fall.

McConnell's news came as Republicans on the other side of the Capitol also made headlines,

questioning President Biden's son Hunter behind closed doors as part of their impeachment

Our Lisa Desjardins has been following it all, and she joins us now.

Let's talk about this spending deal first.

What's in it, and has the shutdown now been averted?

LISA DESJARDINS: Yes, with two important caveats, yes, for now.

And, two, this still has to pass through both chambers of Congress.

Let's talk about this deal, what's in it.

First, the deadline that was coming up the fastest, March 1, that deadline moves to March

8, so buying time to pass the bills that were about to run out of money.

So what this means is, now they're going to try and pass six separate spending bills between

They basically have those bills ready to go, but they need to kind of -- they need to write

the text, get it out and give members time to read it.

So, the other deadline, the harder one, the March 8 deadline, as it is now, would move

That one is harder, Amna, because, among other things, it includes the Department of Homeland

Security, border spending, those kinds of things.

So that is one we will watch very closely.

This next week will be important to see if we can actually not kick the can down the

road again, at least on half of these bills.

Let me ask you now about the news from Leader McConnell, the longest-serving Senate leader

Why is he stepping down and what does his stepping down mean?

LISA DESJARDINS: McConnell is a historic figure, not just because he's a master strategist.

And you could say he's the reason, for example, that Roe v. Wade was overturned because of

how he handled Supreme Court nominations.

But he is also the most powerful opponent of some of Donald Trump's policies and statements

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PBS NewsHour full episode, Feb. 28, 2024

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