Prosecutors resubmit accusations alleging Trump attempted to overthrow the election \ Prosecutors resubmit charges that Trump tried to overturn election

 Trump describes the fresh charge as a "act of desperation" and part of a "witch hunt" against him.

Donald Trump, Republican presidential nominee and former US President, addresses at the National Guard of the United States NGAUS General Conference on August 26, 2024, in Detroit, Michigan, USA. —Reuters

 

WASHINGTON: Prosecutors on Tuesday filed an amended indictment against Donald Trump, charging that he attempted to alter the 2020 US election after losing to Joe Biden.

The superseding indictment includes the same four accusations against Trump as the previous version, but it takes into consideration a recent Supreme Court decision that a former president has wide protection from criminal prosecution.

 The amended indictment against the 78-year-old Republican presidential contender is 36 pages lengthy, down from 45 pages earlier, and it removes evidence affected by the conservative-dominated Supreme Court's immunity rule.

It maintains the same essence, claiming that Trump lost in 2020 but "was determined to remain in power" and attempted to overturn the results.

In July, the Supreme Court declared that an ex-president has extensive immunity from prosecution for official activities committed while in office, but can be charged with unofficial acts.

This cast doubt on the former president's historic prosecution.

Trump described the fresh charge as a "act of desperation" that was part of a "witch hunt" targeting him.

"The illegally appointed 'Special Counsel' Deranged Jack Smith, has brought a ridiculous new Indictment against me, which has all the problems of the old Indictment, and should be dismissed IMMEDIATELY," he posted to his platform, Truth Social.

The fresh indictment comes three days before Special Counsel Jack Smith, who filed the allegations against Trump, and the former president's lawyers were expected to file a pre-trial schedule.

Judge Tanya Chutkan, who presided over the case, had also set a status hearing for September 5 in Washington, but it was unclear whether that would still take place now that the superseding indictment had been filed.

Trump's lawyers have been attempting to postpone a trial until after the November election between Trump and Democratic presidential contender Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump is charged of conspiring to defraud the United States and obstructing an official action, specifically the joint session of Congress on January 6, 2021, which was assaulted by Trump supporters.

Trump is also accused of attempting to disenfranchise US voters through a campaign of false claims that he won the 2020 election.

He was supposed to go on trial on March 4, but that was postponed as his lawyers pursued his presidential immunity claim all the way to the Supreme Court.

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