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Trump team wants classified docs case dismissed, citing presidential immunity

What’s going on: Former President Donald Trump’s attorneys Thursday night urged a Florida judge to dismiss the classified documents case against him, claiming presidential immunity protects him from prosecution — an argument that has so far failed in federal appeals courts in a separate case.

Immunity argument: Trump’s legal team wrote the classified documents charges go against his decision to designate the papers as “personal” records under the Presidential Records Act. Attorneys argued Trump can’t be prosecuted since it was an “official act” the former president made while he was still in the White House.

Refresh: Trump faces dozens of felony counts in federal court in Florida. He is accused of illegally hoarding classified documents at Mar-a-Lago and obstructing government efforts to get them back. According to a June 2023 indictment, investigators reported finding boxes of sensitive documents recklessly stored at Mar-a-Lago in places like a ballroom, a bathroom and a storage room.

What’s next: The case is set for trial May 20, but it’s possible it could be delayed.

South Carolina’s primary: What we’re watching

What to know: South Carolina holds its Republican presidential primary Saturday. All eyes will turn to the Palmetto State as former President Donald Trump and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley compete for the state’s 50 delegates in the 2024 primary.

What to watch: Will Trump deliver a home-state knockout, or will Haley dull the former president’s momentum in her “sweet state of South Carolina?” The primary could serve as Haley’s final stand in the race or give her a boost. In an exclusive interview with NewsNation’s chief Washington correspondent Blake Burman, Haley said she’s focused on winning South Carolina and she’s not leaving the race anytime soon. The “majority of Americans dislike both (Joe Biden and Donald Trump). … We are giving them a choice,” Haley said. At a recent Fox News town hall, Trump predicted he would win “bigly” in South Carolina. “Everybody knows you can’t lose your home state,” he said. He added: “I don’t think she knows how to get out.”

Open primary: South Carolina has no party registration. Republicans in the state hold an open primary, meaning the only voters not eligible Saturday are those who cast Democratic primary ballots Feb. 3. 

Polling: 58% of likely South Carolina Republican primary voters say they supported Trump, while 35% said the same for Haley, according to a survey from Emerson College Polling/The Hill released Tuesday. Another 7% of voters said they were undecided. When undecided voters were asked to choose a candidate, 61% supported Trump and 39% supported Haley. See where the candidates stand on key issues that matter to voters >

Results? With polls closing at 7 p.m. Saturday, full results are expected to come within a few hours of that. You can see up-to-the-minute results on air and on our app as soon as the polls close.

4 charged in transporting suspected Iranian-made weapons. 2 SEALs died intercepting ship

What we know: Four foreign nationals carrying Pakistani identification cards were arrested and charged Thursday with transporting suspected Iranian-made weapons on a ship intercepted by U.S. naval forces in the Arabian Sea last month. Two Navy SEALs, identified as Navy Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Christopher J. Chambers and Navy Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class Nathan Gage Ingram, died during the mission. According to the criminal complaint, the four defendants were moving suspected Iranian-made missile components for the type of weapons used by Houthi rebel forces in recent attacks.

AT&T says cellphone outage was not caused by a cyberattack

The latest: AT&T said Thursday’s outage to its U.S. cellphone network appears to be the result of a technical error, not a malicious attack. Without elaborating, the company blamed the incident on an error in coding. “Based on our initial review, we believe that today’s outage was caused by the application and execution of an incorrect process used as we were expanding our network, not a cyberattack,” AT&T said Thursday. 

 WHAT WE’RE WATCHING 👀

We’re keeping an eye on these topics today. Make sure you tune in to our latest coverage and share your thoughts with us on social media!

• A United Nations Security Council briefing on Ukraine and the ongoing war with Russia will be held Friday.
• President Joe Biden welcomes governors to the White House for the National Governors Association Winter Meeting.
• The Conservative Political Action Conference continues with Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, expected to speak.
  

NEWS ACROSS AMERICA

Law enforcement officers from upstate New York visited the southern border asking officials for tips on handling the increase in migrants coming in from Canada. Full report >

In Oregon, lawmakers are proposing more funding for medications used to treat opioid addiction in jails. Why the measure has come under fire >

The family of Gabby Petito reached an agreement with the family of Brian Laundrie in Florida during mediation and will avoid a civil trial, family members said. Breakdown of the case >

A new California bill would require K-12 schools statewide to have at least one armed officer on campus during regular school hours. How supporters and critics feel about the legislation >

A generous customer left a Michigan waitress a $10,000 tip, but she was fired eight days later. Why she thinks she was let go >

New Hampshire man Adam Montgomery was found guilty of second-degree murder in connection to the killing of his 5-year-old daughter Harmony. Read more >

A Massachusetts man was arrested this week after police said they found cocaine and a U.S. Army rocket launcher in his vehicle. Latest on the case >

A New York county is banning transgender athletes from girls’ sports. The legislation cited “bullying” against biological females. Read more >

A proposal from Georgia lawmakers would make school librarians subject to criminal charges if sexually explicit books are placed in libraries. What to know >

A longtime San Francisco business is trying something new to curb shoplifting: one-on-one shopping. Why they’re making the move >

Tennessee pastor left church to feed families in food deserts

From the pulpit to the farm: A Tennessee pastor left his church five years ago to serve the hungry. Pastor Chris Battle stepped down as leader of Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church in Knoxville to grow and deliver food to a neighborhood where healthy options are scarce. Read more about the minister on a mission >

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