Ex-White House lawyer: Trump 'greatest threat to democracy we’ve ever seen'

The attorney who represented former President Donald Trump in the Robert Mueller investigation is now urging Americans to stop his former client from retaking the White House in November.

CNN's Erin Burnett recently interviewed former White House lawyer Ty Cobb. He warned Trump was not being hyperbolic when he believed he had the right to absolute immunity from criminal prosecution — even in the hypothetical case of assassinating a political opponent — as a former president.

"I think you have to take Trump seriously because he poses the greatest threat to democracy that we’ve ever seen," Cobb said.

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Trump's absolute immunity argument is currently under consideration by a three-judge panel consisting of Michelle Childs, Karen Henderson and Florence Pan, who sit on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals. During Tuesday's oral arguments, Trump lawyer John Sauer argued that any former president can act with total impunity, provided that he isn't impeached by the House of Representatives and convicted in an impeachment trial by the US Senate.

Judges peppered Sauer with questions skeptical of that argument, and reminded him that numerous Republican senators voted to acquit the former president in his 2021 impeachment trial in relation to his actions on January 6. Cobb himself told Burnett he was not expecting his former client to win judges over to his side, but rather that "his legal arguments are interposed solely for delay." However, he added that "it would be very scary if there’s no accountability" for attempting to overturn a free and fair election.

"I think the you know, lack of accountability that he desires, which [Russian president Vladimir] Putin has, the [Iranian] Ayatollah has, [Chinese president] Xi has, as you as you alluded to, you know, I think that he may want an America that is like that."

If the appellate panel rules against Trump, he has the option to take his argument before the full DC Circuit — the majority of whom were appointed by Democratic presidents. If he strikes out there, his only remaining option is the Supreme Court. However, if the Court declines to issue a writ of certiorari to hear the case, the DC Circuit's decision would be final.

READ MORE: 'Presidents are not immune': Appeals court corners Trump lawyers using GOP senators' words