It is a great day in America, that of a legal and democratic ordeal.
The United States Supreme Court hears arguments for and against Donald Trump's ability to run again for president this Thursday.
The nine judges of the highly respected court will have to say, in the case Trump v.
Anderson, if the actions and words of the former Republican president before and during the assault on the Capitol by his supporters on January 6, 2021, were, as the Colorado Supreme Court ruled, an act of secession activating the 14th Amendment to the sacrosanct Constitution of the United States.
In the opinion of American commentators, this is a crucial page which is opening in Washington, much more so than in 2000 when the High Court decided the contested election in favor of the governor of Texas at the time, George W. Bush, facing then-Vice President Al Gore.
Faced with an America divided like never before, interpreting the law will be extremely complicated, as evidenced by the dozens of briefs received by the Supreme Court, from jurists, constitutionalists, lawyers, think tanks who all want to give their interpretation of the famous “insurrection clause” included in the 14th Amendment.
The complex debate will be more complex in a few days if the Sages decide to respond to another appeal from Donald Trump, aiming to have his absolute presidential immunity recognized in the face of all attempts to judge him for having claimed that the elections of 2020 had been “stolen” from him and for having engaged his supporters to counter the results of the polls.
VIDEO.
“I’m the f***ing president, take me”: how Trump tried to drive to the Capitol on January 6, 2021
The ex-president, arch-favorite in the Republican primaries, is asking for the annulment of the decision in December by the Colorado courts ordering his removal from the ballots in this state in the west of the country.
His lawyers - probably Jonathan Mitchell, David Warrington and John Sauer, more than experienced jurists - are calling on the Supreme Court to "protect the rights of tens of millions of Americans who wish to vote for President Trump."
Maine made the same decision, and around twenty other states are awaiting the Court's decision to rule on ineligibility appeals.
While he has recently transformed several court meetings into campaign shows, Trump is not expected to be present in the courtroom this Thursday at 10 a.m. (4 p.m. French time) when the session begins and the judges will hear the pleadings.
The public - 50 places in total for this Thursday -, members of the Supreme Court bar and the press will be able to attend the session but the building will be closed to visits.
An audio stream will be broadcast live and the recording will then be made available on the body's website.
The judges will only express themselves through the questions they ask the parties' lawyers.
Their opinions will be given later, and no one ventures to predict the content of the one which will be in the majority.
The nine justices of the Supreme Court of the United States (from left to right and top to bottom): Amy Coney Barrett, Neil M. Gorsuch, Brett M. Kavanaugh, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Sonia Sotomayor, Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., Samuel A. Alito, Jr. and Elena Kagan, during a group portrait October 7, 2022. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
Aware that his presence could push some of the justices he has appointed to the Court to be more harsh, to demonstrate their impartiality, Trump is expected to stay at Mar-a-Lago (Florida) before going to a caucus victory party from Nevada to Las Vegas.
Because, despite the threats that loom, the primary election continues to take it to the top.