Francesca Gillett
BBC News

It's been a busy few hours here in DC - where an appeals court earlier questioned Donald Trump's claims that he is immune from criminal charges for trying to overturn the 2020 election.

Trump is arguing that he had presidential immunity - that being in the White House shields him from the US government's 2020 election fraud charges.

His lawyer earlier said that without immunity, a Pandora's box will be opened for other prosecutions.

Trump then gave a news conference and said that without presidential immunity, Joe Biden would also be potentially open to prosecution once he left office.

"When they talk about a threat to democracy, that's the real threat to democracy," he said.

But the panel of US appeals court judges appeared sceptical - saying that, hypothetically, immunity could mean a president could order the assassination of a political rival, for example, and still be shielded from prosecution.

You can read our full write-up of today's events here.

Image source, Reuters

It's been a full-on morning for Trump, but it's only set to continue.

On Thursday, his civil fraud trial is set to conclude in New York City. The judge has already found Trump liable for business fraud. Now the civil trial, which is before a judge but not a jury, is focusing on six remaining causes of action alleged by the state attorney general.

The trial will also determine the scope of the penalty, which could go as high as $370m.

Then on Monday, it's time for the second defamation trial brought by E Jean Carroll, the New York writer who last won a $5m jury verdict against Donald Trump for sexual abuse and defamation.

In those seven days, too, Trump also faces a turning point in his bid to return to the White House - the Iowa Republican caucuses.

On Wednesday night he will participate in a televised town hall in Iowa. Then on Monday, Republicans across the state will gather and caucus, or agree who they want as their party's candidate in the November election.

Earlier, Trump's lawyer tried to convince a panel of three judges that former presidents should not be prosecuted for actions they took in office.

But the judges reacted sceptically to that argument, with Judge Florence Pan saying: "You're saying a president could sell pardons, could sell military secrets, could tell SEAL Team Six to assassinate a political rival?"

Here's more from their exchange:

It remains to be seen when the judges will rule on Trump's claims of immunity. But the appeals court is hearing the case on an expedited schedule, so a decision could come soon.

Special Counsel Jack Smith had asked the US Supreme Court to fast-track the case to avoid delaying a trial scheduled for March, but the court declined.

Whoever loses the ruling can appeal it to the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit - or directly to the US Supreme Court.

Trump’s lawyer indicated on Tuesday that the former president will appeal the decision if the court rules against him.

Gary O'Donoghue
Washington correspondent

What we listened to there from Trump just now is a political speech, accusing Joe Biden of being behind the prosecution, and trying to get into Joe Biden‘s record.

You can see this is all tied into an election strategy - it kind of goes into the narrative that Trump is the persecuted one, and that is central to his argument.

This is a political persecution, not a prosecution, he is saying.

Also in his news conference, Trump added that his legal team has a great argument and if it were any other person besides him, it would be the end of this case.

Trump also mentioned the separate Georgia election case (which you can read about here) - attacking Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis - and says he imagines that case is going to be dropped.

As he walked away, Trump did not answer a question from a reporter who asked if he would tell his supporters not to continue any violence.

Image source, Pool

In his brief news conference just now - at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in DC - Trump called the day "momentous".

He reiterated points about the federal immunity case and also touched on Monday's move by his lawyers to dismiss the Georgia election case.

Trump continued to say that this was a politically motivated case by a political opponent. He said Joe Biden is losing in every poll and every demographic.

The case sets a "very bad precedent", he said, insisting that he "did absolutely nothing wrong".

And he had a positive view of the day in court, though, calling it a "very good day” - and that he feels "very confident" that they will win the immunity case.

Donald Trump is about to give a news conference. He's standing with members of his team, next to a US flag in a location somewhere in DC.

We'll be listening and bring you the latest on what he says shortly - or you can watch by pressing Play at the top of this page.

Donald Trump is in Washington DC today, but he is also focusing on the political battleground that is Iowa.

The Iowa caucuses are on 15 January - it's the first time Republicans will be able to vote for who they want to be their presidential candidate. Trump has a commanding lead in the polls, but Iowa will give our first real insights into what certain Republican voters are thinking.

Iowa caucuses are very unique, and always raise lots of questions. If you want to know something specific, you can ask our experts about Iowa, Trump or the 2024 election by sending questions to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk, external. Please include your name, age and location.

We'll be answering these during our live coverage on 15 January.

In some cases your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.

Gary O'Donoghue
Washington Correspondent

Image source, EPA

Donald Trump didn’t have to come and attend court today and with the first instalment of the Republican primary in Iowa set for next week, candidates in his position would normally be out on the campaign trail.

But these court appearances are huge money spinners for the former president - he raised $1m on the days when he was arraigned in New York, and Georgia.

These appearances have become central to Trump‘s political strategy as he argues that the cases against him are politically motivated and designed to keep him out of the White House in November.

Sam Cabral
Reporting from the courthouse

Donald Trump was in the hearing room, but most of us reporting from the courthouse did not see him.

The former president’s motorcade slipped in to the building through a back garage.

There was no fanfare when he entered the room and he did not appear at any time on the live feed of the hearing that was broadcast in the media room.

The handful of journalists inside the courtroom itself did confirm he was there, though. And at one key moment I noted before, his lawyer gestured behind him to where I imagine Trump was sitting.

Once the hearing ended, Trump left as quickly as he had arrived, his motorcade racing down the wet Washington DC streets.

In the chilly rain, a lone protester - referring to herself as “Trump’s number one nemesis” - shouted slogans near the back garage exit, long after Trump had already left.

Gary O'Donoghue
Washington correspondent

It’s no exaggeration to say this case will have a profound impact, not just on Donald Trump‘s future but also on the nature of the American presidency.

Trump‘s lawyers say removing immunity would open a Pandora’s box from which the country might never recover.

The government says it will be a frightening world, if presidents could take bribes, sell secrets, and even order the assassination of opponents and avoid prosecution by simply resigning before impeachment.

Whoever comes out on top it’s highly likely the US Supreme Court will be asked to come to a final judgment, delaying any trial for weeks if not months.

Sam Cabral
Reporting from the courthouse

After about 75 minutes the hearing has just ended - and the judges peppered both sides with plenty of tough questions. Here are some of the key moments.

What Trump's lawyer argued:

• Donald Trump's lawyer, Dean John Sauer, argued that prosecuting a president for "his official acts" risks opening "a Pandora's box from which the nation may never recover"
• Sauer said, without immunity, nothing could prevent the criminal prosecution of incumbent President Joe Biden after he leaves office for "mismanaging the border allegedly"
• Judge Florence Pan - who was appointed by Biden - did not appear convinced by the Trump argument for absolute immunity. She questioned whether a president could order the assassination of a political rival and still be shielded from prosecution
• Judge Karen Henderson, who is viewed as the jurist most sympathetic toward Trump, expressed scepticism that immunity extends to violating criminal law by trying to overturn the 2020 election results

What the US government argued:

• James Pearce, speaking on behalf of the special counsel's office, urged the panel to deny Trump's request for immunity because he is "not above the law"
• But Judge Henderson and Judge Childs both expressed concern about how they might issue a ruling that prevents "tit-for-tat" prosecutions of presidents over their official acts
• Pearce said that the future would be "extraordinarily frightening" if the kinds of offences Trump is accused of committing go unpunished

Trump's lawyer Sauer was up again for a chance to give a quick five-minute rebuttal of the US government's arguments.

And then, as abruptly as it began, the hearing finishes.

More now from Pearce (the US justice department lawyer), who argues a future in which a president enjoys total immunity is "extraordinarily frightening".

Using the earlier hypotheticals put to Sauer - that presidents could then theoretically order assassinations and sell pardons and secrets and be protected - Pearce says a president could simply resign, to avoid criminal prosecution.

"What kind of world are we living in if... a president orders his SEAL team to assassinate a political rival and resigns, for example, before an impeachment: Not a criminal act," he says.

"A president sells a pardon, resigns or is not impeached? Not a crime. I think that is an extraordinarily frightening future," Pearce argues.

He says this should weigh heavily on the court's consideration.

Sam Cabral
Reporting from the courthouse

Judge Henderson is the jurist on this panel who is being viewed as most likely to be favourable towards the Trump argument for immunity.

She just asked James Pearce, the government's lawyer, how she and her two colleagues can issue an opinion that does not "open the floodgates" to tit-for-tat prosecutions of presidents and become "unavoidably political".

Pearce says there is already "a political process, which is impeachment" and "there is a legal process which is decidedly not political".

And he says this case is unique because it "reflects the fundamentally unprecedented nature of the criminal charges here".

He says that, since the Nixon Era, presidents including Bill Clinton have got into trouble for their official acts, but none had allegedly acted to "subvert the democratic republic".

Away from the hearing for a moment, we've seen a fundraising email that Donald Trump sent to his subscribers this morning with the title "heading to court".

Since his first criminal indictment, former President Trump has used his legal troubles as a way to raise money.

That was no different this morning, and in the email, he accuses President Biden and Special Counsel Jack Smith of trying to "strip" him of his rights.

He asks supporters to make a contribution to help him "win back the White House and save our country!"

Sam Cabral
Reporting from the courthouse

Each side was allotted an initial 20 minutes to argue their case, but perhaps this was never going to be a quick affair.

Sauer went well over his time limit, but his clock was simply reset and the hearing continued without a pause.

In all, he took 40 minutes.

As he ended, the panel informed him he will have five minutes to offer a rebuttal after the prosecution has spoken.

Time's up for Trump's attorney's arguments.

Two of the judges - Judge J Michelle Childs and Judge Florence Pan - grilled Sauer with the most scepticism. They were both appointed by current president Joe Biden - a Democrat. At least one of them needs to be won over for the court to deliver a decision in Trump's favour.

Now we are hearing from the Department of Justice - James Pearce is the attorney speaking for them.

We'll bring you the key points of the exchange as it happens, so stick with us.