Opinion: Why Trump shouldn’t celebrate the immunity ruling just yet

(CNN) — Now that the Supreme Court has issued its historic decision on presidential immunity — one that will be “for the ages,” as Justice Neil Gorsuch put it — the most pressing question yet to be answered is far more immediate: What does this mean for special counsel Jack Smith’s prosecution of former President Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election?We vehemently disagree with the majority decision to extend any immunity to aspects of Trump’s 2020 election interference. But the court’s opinion also makes clear that this ruling is not a death knell for Smith’s case.True, as the case now returns to the trial court, there is no longer time for a full jury trial in 2024. But the opinion calls on District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan to initiate the next best thing: an evidentiary hearing — a kind of mini-trial — that will thoroughly ventilate the facts in this case. She should do so quickly.Smith charged Trump with engaging in a “criminal scheme” to subvert the 2020 election; Trump has pleaded not guilty to four counts. The trial, which was originally scheduled to begin on March 4, has instead been stayed since December 2023....