Former President Donald Trump has appealed a decision removing his immunity from prosecution related to the January 6th protests.

Trump filed a notice of appeal on Thursday that will likely block all proceedings in Trump's election interference case brought by special counsel Jack Smith.

This development is disastrous for Smith who had finally managed to arrange a trial date of March 4th.

Now Smith's team has to adjust on the fly and will likely have to delay the trial. Smith is running out of time as the closer the trial falls to the election, the worse things will get.

This is assuming that the trial happens at all. Trump's appeal could end up getting all charges against him related to the election dropped.

Running out of time

Smith had a hard task ahead of him in the first place and now it seems that Trump and his legal team are winning a legal battle that is based on time.

Trump's entire strategy in beating these indictments that have been thrown at him has been delay, delay, delay.

There is less than a year to go before the 2024 presidential election and if Smith can't obtain a conviction before the election, there is little chance he will ever get a conviction.

Trump is crushing his Republican competitors for the Republican nomination and many believe that the race for the nomination was over months ago.

Furthermore, Trump is leading President Joe Biden in key swing states and many believe that Trump will win a second term when the dust settles next November.

Presidential immunity

There is no question to many Americans that the charges that Trump is facing are completely trumped up and political.

Trump believes that his conduct on January 6th was protected under presidential immunity. If a higher court sides with Trump, Smith's case will be baseless.

Furthermore, the other indictments that Trump is dealing with will go nowhere should Trump be elected President.

So this leaves Democrats with a closing window to obtain a coveted conviction. Once Trump becomes President, it will be Democrats who find themselves on the wrong end of the Department of Justice.