President Donald Trump has always loved suing his way out of trouble, but his litigation-happy defense strategy could blow up in his face with a string of court rulings due as he faces re-election.
Decisions are pending next year in cases involving Trump's business dealings with foreign governments, the release of his tax returns, evidence from the Robert Mueller investigation and his claims of presidential immunity in a variety of probes, reported Politico.
The U.S. Supreme Court could make a number of highly significant rulings on executive branch power for Trump and subsequent presidents involving criminal prosecutions and congressional subpoenas, as well as the Constitution's emoluments clause prohibiting federal officials from receiving payments from foreign governments.
If the court takes up those cases during April hearings, the rulings would come in late June -- well ahead of the November 2020 election but just weeks before both parties' conventions.
The rulings could determine which witnesses the White House can block from testifying in the House impeachment inquiry and whether additional evidence uncovered by the Mueller probe can be turned over to lawmakers.
Trump, of course, has been fighting the release of his tax returns since the 2016 election, and there's no telling how those revelations could reshape his re-election campaign if a court rules they should be made public.
Three appeals courts are currently reviewing lawsuits related to Trump's business dealings with foreign governments and whether those payments violate the Constitution, and hearings are expected to begin next month in two of those cases.
Legal experts are divided on whether the Supreme Court would eventually hear those cases.