cnn this morning starts right now. good morning, everyone. i m phil mattingly with erika hill in new york. poppy is off today. there s a lot of news on this thursday, december 21st. starting with a new delay tactic from donald trump and his legal team. trump asking the supreme court to stay out of a key case for now as the justices face several issues that could reshape the entire race. and the political fallout continues from colorado s top court banning trump from the ballot. and hamas growing worldwide influence since the brutal attack on israel. u.s. intelligence warning hamas credibility has expanded dramatically not just in the middle east but beyond. and ten americans freed from venezuela, six who were wrongfully detained, what they had to say after arriving back on u.s. soil. cnn this morning starts right now. the u.s. supreme court could soon decide the fate of donald trump and the fate of the 2024 election. but the former president is turning to a favorite
hunt. it is thursday, december 21. 5:00 a.m. in new york. also 5:00 a.m. in washington, d.c. where donald trump is now urging the supreme court to reject a fast track review of his claim for presidential immunity after he tried to overturn the 2020 election. his legal team filed a motion wednesday and this is one week after special counsel jack smith requested that justices rule quickly on whether immunity would protect trump in prosecution so that his trial could begin on march 4. trump s legal strategy has always been to delay the proceedings as he campaigns again for the white house in 2024. meantime, president biden was asked about tuesday s unprecedented colorado supreme court ruling that trump is an insurrectionist and does not among in the state s primary ballot. is trufrmp an insurrectionis? i think it is self-evident. you saw it all. whether the 14th amendment apply, i ll let the court make that decision. but he certainly assumed an insurrection. no question abou