A group of conservative Republicans opposed to Donald Trump released a $2 million ad campaign in Georgia and 11 other states Friday urging the U.S. Supreme Court to reject the former president’s bid for “absolute immunity” from prosecution.
The campaign by Republicans for the Rule of Law features testimonials from more than 25 self-identified conservatives arguing why any ruling in favor of Trump would place any president above the law for crimes committed while in office.
Under such a ruling, a president would even be entitled to order the assassination of his political opponent, as Trump’s legal team argued before the court.
“Our constitutional system is predicated on legal accountability and equal justice under the law,
even for presidents and past presidents,” said Sarah Longwell, the group’s executive director.
“Conservatives feel this in our bones: No man or woman is above the law. In this case, that means rejecting the ‘absolute immunity’ claim.”
Trump’s lawyers are asking the Supreme Court to prohibit Special Counsel Jack Smith from prosecuting the former president for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and on charges of retaining classified documents at his Florida home after leaving office.
Two other criminal cases against Trump – his conviction last week in New York of falsifying business documents to cover up hush-money payments in connection with a sexual relationship with a former porn actress and a pending election interference prosecution in Georgia – involve state charges.
The ads will air on digital and streaming platforms, including YouTube and Hulu, through June 23. The Supreme Court is expected to rule by the end of its term late this month or early in July.
