A federal appeals court in Wash presidential immunity for actions he took# in trying to overturn the 2020 election.

AMNA NAWAZ: The unanimous three-judge panel## wrote -- quote -- "Former Presiden This clears the way for his federal trial on# conspiracy and obstruction charges to move## forward, but Mr. Trump is expected to appeal# the ruling, which could further delay the case.

William Brangham has been keeping track of all# the Trump legal developments and joins me now.

William, it's good to see you.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Hi.

What do we need to understand# about how the judges WILLIAM BRANGHAM: This was a clear# setback for the former president.## This was a unanimous ruling# from this three-judge pa And it was really the first time# an appeals court in our hi had ever been asked this question about# presidential immunity.

very forcefully pushed back on each# of the former president's assertions.

They ruled, in essence, that Donald Trump has to# face trial in federal court on these charges that## he tried to subvert the 2020 election# that he lost.

His argument all along,## as we have reported, is that all of the# actions that he took leading up to January## 6 were part of his official duties,# and thus he should be immune from that.

The judges flatly rejected that.

And I'm# going to read you a quote from their ruling## today.

They wrote -- quote -- "It would# be a striking paradox if the president,## who alone is vested with the constitutional duty# to take care that the laws be faithfully executed,## were the sole officer capable of# defying those laws with impunity."

This ruling is right in line with a poll that we# are about to release tomorrow, NPR, "NewsHour,"## and Marist poll that's coming out tomorrow.# It showed that 65 percent of Americans polled## said that Donald Trump should not have immunity# from prosecution.

Strong majorities of Democrats## and independents believe that way.

Interestingly,# the partisan flip on that is nearly the reverse.

Republicans, 68 percent of them# think Donald Trump should be immune.

AMNA NAWAZ: So what happens next now?

We# have reported previously Mr. Trump will## likely appeal this ruling.

What happens# there?

What does the timeline WI LLIAM BRANGHAM: The judges have said# that Trump has until Monday to appeal## to the Supreme Court for them to take it up.# Everyone believes The question is, will the Supreme Court# take up that case?

If they decline,## this immunity ruling stands and the# case goes back to Judge Tanya Chutkan,## who could then restart it.

It has been# frozen waiting for this ruling all along.

Special counsel Jack Smith has said# that case could take approximately## two months to prosecute.

Let's look# at the calendar here, because this## is where things start to get complicated.# If the Supreme Court declines ag ain, March 4, that's when this was# supposed to start.

That has been delayed.

If the court declines to do that, the trial# could start up maybe this springtime.

But## if they decide to take that up, then# things get really crowded.

Remember,## later this summer, in July, six months from# now, presidential campaign is well under## way.

In July, the Republican National# Convention is happening in Milwaukee.

Four months after that is November 5,# Election Day.

If that trial date gets## slid down, then Donald Trump is in the# middle of the presidential campaign,## by law required to be in court facing# these federal charges.

There would be## enormous pressure on the judge to try to punt or# to push that off or to accommodate his campaign.

Very little indication she would do that.

So,## one of the arguments that legal analysts# have been making is that it se Donald Trump has wanted to delay this all# along, to push these off a so that a ruling and or verdict could happen# after the election and wouldn't impact voters,## or, in Trump's ideal world, push them into# the next year, so that, if he were reelected,## he could then determine his attorney general# could dismantle the federal cases against him.

AMNA NAWAZ: William Brangham with the latest# ruling in Mr. Trump's ongoing legal cases.

William, thank you.

WILLIAM BRAN AMNA NAW think about President Trump's immunity# claim.

That's at PBS.org/NewsHo