Trump Setting Stage for Supreme Court Battle Over Executive Privilege

News Analysis President Donald Trump and his legal team are setting the stage for a Supreme Court battle over executive privilege as quarrels between the former president and Democrats in the House of Representatives intensify. The battle began following the creation of the House Jan. 6 committee, which was formed in June in a mostly party-line vote, as all but two Republicans—Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) and Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.)—voted against forming the commission. The committee is led almost exclusively by Democrats, with Kinzinger and Cheney the only Republicans sitting on the panel. Trump encouraged his former staff to refuse subpoenas issued by the committee, arguing that he and his staff were protected from legislative subpoenas under the doctrine of executive privilege. After former White House aide Steve Bannon refused to answer one such subpoena, the Jan. 6 committee recommended criminal charges for contempt of Congress, which the House later certified. After …