The ongoing legal saga surrounding Donald Trump’s presidency has been headline news for years now, and it shows no signs of slowing down. With a plethora of accusations, charges, and investigations swirling around the former president, it can be hard to keep track of what he’s actually being charged with at any given moment.
But it seems that even Trump’s own lawyers are struggling to keep up with the complexity of his legal troubles. In a recent court hearing, one of Trump’s attorneys admitted that he didn’t fully understand the charges his client was facing.
The hearing concerned a lawsuit filed against Trump by two Capitol Police officers who allege that he incited the January 6th insurrection. When questioned by the judge about the specifics of the case, Trump’s lawyer, Jesse Binnall, made a series of confusing and contradictory statements.
At one point, Binnall said that the lawsuit couldn’t proceed because Trump had never been formally charged with a crime related to the insurrection. However, the judge pointed out that Trump had, in fact, been impeached by the House of Representatives on a charge of incitement of insurrection – something that Binnall seemed to be unaware of.
Later in the hearing, Binnall suggested that the lawsuit was invalid because the officers hadn’t provided specific evidence of Trump’s direct involvement in the attack. But the judge noted that this was a matter for trial, not something that could be decided at the initial hearing.
The spectacle of Trump’s own lawyer struggling to keep up with the nuances of the case highlights just how complex and confusing his legal troubles have become. The former president is facing a barrage of criminal and civil investigations, including:
– An ongoing criminal investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office into hush money payments made to women who alleged affairs with Trump
– A separate criminal investigation into the Trump Organization’s finances
– Numerous lawsuits related to the January 6th insurrection, including the Capitol Police officers’ suit and a similar one filed by Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell
– Lawsuits related to Trump’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including accusations that he downplayed the severity of the virus and failed to take adequate action to protect public health
It’s no wonder that even Trump’s own legal team is struggling to keep up with the constantly shifting landscape of accusations and charges. But while the complexity of the legal cases against Trump can be overwhelming, it’s important not to lose sight of the gravity of the alleged crimes. From abuse of power to incitement of violence, the accusations against the former president strike at the very heart of our democracy.
