New indictment limits charges against Trump to private actions

Special prosecutor Jack Smith has filed a new indictment against Donald Trump, focusing on the former president's attempts to remain in power despite losing the election. The latest streamlined indictment considers the Supreme Court ruling from 1 July, which grants Trump partial immunity.

In the new indictment, approved by the grand jury, investigators still charge Trump with the same allegations related to his actions aimed at overturning the election results and staying in power. However, they limit the charges to Trump's private actions.

Mentions of the pressure exerted by the then-president on the Department of Justice to support Trump's narrative of a "stolen" election, despite the lack of evidence, have disappeared from the original indictment. In a precedent-setting ruling at the beginning of July, the Supreme Court determined that the president's official actions—those related to his core duties as head of state—are protected by "absolute" immunity. The court recognised that this includes the president's communications with members of his administration.

The new indictment—nine pages shorter than the original—focuses on the actions of Trump and his associates conducted in their private capacity.

The new indictment was filed 70 days before the elections, 10 days before the cutoff date, excluding the possibility of charging political candidates. Despite this, it is practically impossible for the trial to commence before the November presidential elections.

Trump responded to the prosecutor's action on his social media platform, TRUTH Social, in a rather unusual manner by sharing a post suggesting that if he wins the election, he will fire the prosecutor and drop the charges against himself.