Former Nixon White House counsel, John Dean, believes the Supreme Court is facing even greater challenges in resolving the issues surrounding Donald Trump’s criminal trial in D.C. than it did during the Nixon Watergate tapes saga. On CNN, Dean emphasized the elevated stakes as special counsel Jack Smith persists in urging the Supreme Court to expedite a review of Trump’s claims to presidential immunity, despite Trump’s objections.
In a recent filing, Smith referred to U.S. v. Nixon as precedent for a swift decision, stating, Here the stakes are as high if not higher. When questioned by anchor Pamela Brown about this assessment, Dean concurred, stating that the current situation surpasses the Nixon case. He pointed out that in the Nixon case, they were seeking 64 secretly recorded conversations with aides, while in Trump’s case, the stakes are notably higher.
Brown then asked if the Supreme Court is likely to grant Smith’s request, to which Dean expressed his belief that they will. Dean noted the potential political implications if the Court were to delay, emphasizing that such a delay could play into Trump’s strategy of prolonging legal proceedings. Despite acknowledging the possibility of waiting for the Court of Appeals’ decision, Dean highlighted that any delay could be perceived as influenced by Trump, a factor that has not been evident in the Court’s actions thus far.
