Inflation. Believe with Jake Tapper starts for now a judge told trumps lawyers today, quote, this court is not concerned with the electoral schedule on the lead starts right now a dramatic day in court as Donald Trump tries to get the federal Election Interference Case against him thrown out, coming up the Stern Rebuke from the judge and how this case is still moving forward with the election only 61 days away, plus another different Election Interference Case. This one about this year, with russia in the middle Justice Department says rightwing Social Media figures were used by the kremlin trying to influence youre votes. Where these influencers dupes, where they useful idiots, or are they victims as they claim and new, details about the tragedy at a High School in georgia, authorities find disturbing writings by the suspected gunman about other School Shootings welcome to the lead. Im Jake Tapper and we start with a big day in our Law And Justice Lead Today with a heated hearing in Donald Trumps federal Elections Case in washington, dc relating to his actions on January 6, 2021. This is the first since the u. S. Supreme court handed down there landmark president ial Immunity Ruling in july. This is the case were trump faces charges for his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, which culminated of course in the capitol riot. You will recall perhaps last week, special Counsel Jack Smith narrowed the charges he was bringing against Donald Trump so that the case would still qualify even with the us Supreme Courts Immunity Ruling today in the hearing, trumps lawyers offered two key arguments. One, that the appointment of special Counsel Jack Smith was illegitimate and to that the whole case should be thrown out if the judge ultimately fines that trumps interactions since with Vice President Mike Pence were deemed immune from prosecution. Judge chutkan, today offered a chilly reception to both of those defense arguments, and she pushed back against the trump Teams Assertion that they were worried about this case playing out publicly in the final days of the election, Judge Chutkan asserting, quote this court is not concerned with the electoral schedule on quote, unquote, to which Donald Trumps attorney John Lauro responded, quote, were talking about the presidency of the united states, Unquote Chutkan responded, i am not talking about the presidency. I am talking about a four count indictment. This all comes as Donald Trump this afternoon fought back against his legal cases accusing democrats and Vice President Kamala Harris, of trying to imprison him she and her party are censoring speech, weaponizing the justice system, and trying to throw their political opponents me, in jail. This hasnt happened i didnt do that to Crooked Hillary is they always have to remember that two can play the game were going to start today with cnns paula reid, who followed the ins and outs of todays dramatic hearing at the courthouse . Its a total fraud. It was Election Interference. Donald trumps January 6 case back in dc federal Court Today with a fiery and contentious hearing. Attorneys for the former president seeking an immediate dismissal to the case. We have an illegitimate prosecutor. We have an illegitimate indictment and we have he legitimate legal issues raised in that indictment. Trump attorney John Lauro said, the judge, Tanya Chutkan made it clear that was not going to happen. The Trump Team sparred with her over a timeline for the case, calling it unfair to introduce evidence this close to the 2024 election, chutkan responding i understand there is an election in pending. You have said before, and i will say again that the electoral process and what needs to happen before the election does not matter here. And that she was definitely not getting dragged into the election. But there was one area of agreement. The judge must decide how a Supreme Court ruling on president ial immunity effects this case before any trial. Immunity is the linchpin here. She said a 63 decision in july, gabe, former president s immunity from prosecution for official acts, but not for private conduct. Attorney general, Merrick Garland said this week he was confident in Special Counsel, Jack Smith, i stand by the actions of the Special Counsel. The Superseding Indictment is an effort to respond to the direct instructions of the Supreme Court as to how to effectuate a new indictment in an ongoing case while the new reworked Indictment Removed Things like trumps infamous Rose Garden video. So go home. We love you. Youre very special. It added new details about Congresss Certification Process and what but role Vice President Mike Pence played in it trumps attorneys arguing on thursday that the case should be tossed if the judge Rules Communications between Pence And Trump are immune from prosecution, It Tanks the entire indictment. Laura argued they also intend to raise other issues like the legitimacy of the Special Counsel so questions about Obstruction Of Justice and January 6 and discovery. But one question that wont be answered anytime soon is when this case will go to trial, it is sort of an exercise in futility at this point to talk about setting a Trial Date Anna talking to sources in and around this case, it is clear that if this case does go to trial, it would not do so until next fall at the earliest. Now, jake, the judge, could release her plan, her schedule as soon as this evening. Paula reid stay with me also playing out today, a last Ditch Effort from Hunter Biden to try to avoid trial in his Tax Evasion Case out west in california, the president s son, just minutes ago offering offering to plead guilty, changing his offer from earlier in the day to plead no contest, not admitting guilt, but saying he would accept punishment this is the case, of course, for prosecutors alleged the president s son failed to pay 1. 4 million in taxes instead, spending on luxury cars and extravagant hotels and sex workers. Cnns Evan Perez is following this case. From Los Angeles and evan, the hearing over Hunter Bidens guilty pleas playing out, right this minute. What is going on inside the courtroom behind you well jake, quite a few twists and turns to this day, we expected to have jury selection. We have 120 prospective jurors who are sitting in court for several hours because while we have this play out right now, Hunter Biden has been sworn in, and what prosecutors are going are reading the 56 Page Indictment, word for word all of the ugly details, some of which you just went through including says lavish lifestyle, spending, money, Hundreds Of Thousands of dollars on escorts and on exotic cars and what prosecutors are doing is they want Hunter Biden when he changes if he changes his plea to guilty they want him to admit to all of the facts in this indictment. And what Hunter Biden and his attorneys are asking for the judge to do is for him to essentially mitch to the conduct at large essentially, all of the broad elements of what Hunter Biden is accused of because a reminder, he is accused of three Felony Counts for tax evasion, and then there he is facing six Misdemeanor Counts for failing to file and pay his taxes on time at this moment, the judge is really it is in his hands. The prosecutors are going to finish reading this 56 Page Indictment and at The End of that the judge which will ask Hunter Biden how he pleads on every one of those counts, then well see whether the judge decides to accept this plea. Now you pointed out this is been this is his latest gambit by Hunter Biden earlier, he was trying to have it another way where he would not accept guilty proclaim his innocence, but accept whatever sentence is handed down by the judge. This latest attempt, of course, jake is just his way of trying to make sure he lives this Courthouse Today without going to trial. Right . This is something thats likely to take about five weeks, Cost Millions of dollars theres something that Hunter Biden just doesnt have alright. Thanks so much. Also with me here at the table is cnn senior legal analyst, elie honig. Elie turning back to the Trump Case earlier today, you said todays was a good day in court for a Special Counsel, Jack Smith, but he still has one of the most complicated cases in the current justice system. Yeah, for sure. I think today went well for Jack Smith, but hes still up against it when it comes to this case, writ large. Now, a couple of things i think look like they went well for Jack Smith and i will find out soon when the judge issues his ruling. First of all, the judge seemed to have no interest in Donald Trumps proposed timeline, which would just take forever. Donald trump didnt even want to address the immunity you know, the argument until after the election, Judge Chutkin seemed to have no interest in that. Second of all, it seems like the judge is going to allow prosecutors probably sometime soon, probably before the election to submit evidence. Grand jury transcripts, fbi, what we call three o2s, which are written statements, things that wouldnt already be in the public sector. So that can help prosecutors to play but some damaging information about Donald Trump out there before the election, which of course trumps team doesnt like, but big picture, theres a huge burden for Jack Smith here in terms of immunity, this is going to get appealed possibly backup to the Supreme Court. Theres a chance this case either gets there or knocked out altogether. And paula, Judge Chutkan didnt seem to buy the Defenses Argument that trumps interactions with Vice President pence when he was pressuring pence to do something unconstitutional with electoral votes the Trump Team is saying that should be immune from prosecution within the confines of immunity and president ial actions. If she rules against the Trump Team on that trump, No Doubt will appeal this all the way back up to the u. S. Supreme court, right . Yeah. I can confirm for sources familiar with their strategy, they will absolutely appeal to the Supreme Court. Ill go a little further and ally, this case is going to go back to the Supreme Court, whether they want to hear it. Thats up to them. But parties associated with this case believed there was an implicit invitation by the Supreme Court too. Apply their opinion to this case, and then come back if there are any additional questions and whoever loses on this question about Mike Pence is want to go want to go back before the Supreme Court to get some clarity because Mike Pences testimony that of bill barr, thats the ballgame for the Trump Team. They believe that they can get that tossed under the Supreme Courts opinion, that they believe does anything they can prove an official act cannot be used as evidence. They believe the case is dead, so theyre going to fight, theyre going to fight to the death. Elie, i understand to a degree, Judge Chutkans in patients with the argument that the Trump Team is making because theyre the ones that have been delaying, delaying, delaying. And now for a case to happen and they say, oh, you cant do it in the closing james, with the election. I mean, its the closing days to the election because theyve been delaying, delaying, delaying, but having a trial so close to an election thats unusual, right . Right. It was interesting to hear today to hear Judge Chutkan say to Donald Trumps team, we dont think about the Election Date at all. Now thats the Textbook Thing to say. But lets be real. Theres some hypocrisy here because in the early days of this case, Judge Chutkin was very much aligned with Jack Smith in a mad rush to get this case tried before the election. The original Trial Date was seven months after the indictment. Thats outrageous. You cant try a case with 13 Million documents seven months after the indictment, no case would normally get to trial that right . So Judge Chutkan and Jack Smith were clearly very much thinking about the Trial Date, the Election Date, when they wanted to get the trial in before the election. But now that the tables have turned because of the Supreme Courts decision, All Of A Sudden from Judge Chutkan, its oh, we dont think about such things. I take that with some grain of salt. Im paula, Judge Chutkan adjourn todays hearing without setting a Trial Date, saying that the issue of president ial immunity is going to continue to be litigated as you noted in that setting, a State Date would be an exercise in futility. Do you agree . Yeah. And she would know because max several months ago, she was insistent that this case was going to go to trial in march, and we all saw that that is not how things played out. And of course we have the election if trump is reelected, hes gonna have his Attorney General dismiss this case. Dismiss maralago. Why would you put a Trial Date on the calendar right now when theres so much work to be done in at this point, it is still not a guarantee that this case will survive and make it to trial. So we didnt think going out to california now to Hunter Biden, we thought that he was going to do this unusual maneuver where he was basically not gonna not not admit guilt, but to have the judge impose the punishment instead, hes pleading guilty. He offered a guilty plea. Do you think that suggests that ultimately he thinks that his sentence is going to be either hes either going to be pardoned or a sense its gonna be commuted by his dad. Absolutely. Kaitlan paula, its and i reported several weeks ago that there had been some discussions about Plea Deal and those stall. This is not a deal. Hes not getting anything here. All hes doing is pleading guilty and even though the White House has denied it as recently as today, saying the president is not attend to pardon, or commute whatever happens to his son. It is impossible to believe jake that the president of the united states is going to allow his son to go to jail when they believe these are cases that would not have been brought against hunter if his last name was not biden is impossible to believe that theyre going allow him to go to jail when it is in his Fathers Power to prevent that either through a commutation or through a pardon there on the record saying its not going to happen based on what he decided today. He went thats not even willing to wait for the judge to make a decision on that unusual alford plea. He said note were going to plead guilty to everything strongly suggests he expects him clemency i mean, hes not going to be president after january 20 2025. So it as you say, its impossible to imagine that given the fact that hes theres theres no political ramifications for him. Hes on his way out the door. What kind of sentencing do you think he might face Hunter Biden. So let me put this really starkly. If Hunter Biden does not receive a commutation or pardon, he is almost certainly going to federal prison. If we look at this tax case, the guidelines signs which are not mandatory, but there are influential and binding. Look to call for a about a threeyear sentence for Hunter Biden. Now you can convince a judge as a Defense Lawyer or good Defense Lawyer to go below that, but i dont see that going all the way down to probation. And lets not forget, Hunter Biden has to be sentenced on the Gun Case in delaware where hes looking at a year or so again, under the guidelines. So choice for the president is a very stark one. Either pardon Hunter Biden, or in all likelihood, watch him go to prison. Thats a tough decision. I i dont know as a father, i cant imagine put aside the legality. I cant imagine watching your son go toros impossible to im not going to happen and we even have jurors. We got them on the record in wilmington saying, look, we think this case is kinda stupid, but they proved it beyond a reasonable doubt. It is absolutely possible to believe that Joe Biden is going to leave the White House and let his son, Go To Federal Prison no matter what they say on the record, No One who thinks elie honig, paula reid, thanks to you. Were also following developments in a different Election Interference lets case this one involving 2024, not 2020, and russia, the Justice Department says the kremlin is changing tactics for 2024 and using american social Media Influencers who have millions of followers to infiltrate, rightwing politics. Also ahead Brand New details just coming in about the suspected gunman yesterdays awful shooting at a georgia High School. What authorities are saying about the 14 Yearolds Cooperation with investigators, stay with us a cnn Special Event, abc News President ial debate, tuesday at nine On Cnn, i started bright Star Care to provide a higher standard of care. Its been my goal for 20 years and it always will be. If youre an experienced caregiver with that same passion, join the brand that supports you most Comb Download the free app, maam. With, car gurus do as much or as little as you want online if only you could do things your way all the time a delightful, gone you got it with gurus we can just have someone on fiverr do it is no big deal. Hiring freelancers just for small tasks is like hiring martha stewart, as in, heres your coffee. Best in turn ever, sometimes great challenge is right under your nose. Your name again when the Saw Dust settles and the engine roars, the thing you care about is the job well done. Well, when you get your tools from Harbor Freight Something about the job feels different your wallet, whatever you do, do it for less at Harbor Freight your feeling out of step with their current big wire on his Plan Switch to consumer cellular. All the dips his Trip Price out, out, out start that plan, starting at just 20. Its easy to switch to consume ourselves everybody wants super straight, super white