Overview

• The 2nd U.S. Circuit met June 11 to hear Trump’s request to move his 34-count hush money conviction from state to federal court.
• Trump’s legal team cites the Supreme Court’s July immunity ruling to argue that evidence of his official acts, such as tweets and staff testimony, should have been excluded from the state trial.
• The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office argues that removal is unavailable after a final judgment and that the hush money payments were private acts outside presidential authority.
• The Department of Justice filed an amicus brief supporting Trump’s bid, highlighting that his former defense attorneys now occupy top DOJ roles and urging dismissal of the state prosecution.
• The appeals judges probed whether the case remains “live” for removal and how narrowly drawn immunity protections apply to post-conviction challenges.