President Joe Biden has criticized a Supreme Court ruling granting former President Donald Trump partial immunity from criminal prosecution, calling it a “dangerous precedent.” He stated that the decision undermines the “rule of law” and constitutes “a terrible disservice” to Americans.
In contrast, Trump celebrated the ruling as a “big win” for democracy. The Supreme Court determined that a president has immunity for “official acts” but not for “unofficial acts,” referring the matter back to a trial judge.
This decision will further delay the criminal case against Trump, who is accused of attempting to subvert the 2020 election result that favored Biden. The trial judge now needs to identify which actions were performed in Trump’s capacity as president, a process that could take months. Consequently, any trial is unlikely to commence before November’s presidential election.
In a televised statement on Monday, President Biden asserted, “This nation was founded on the principle that there are no kings in America. Each of us is equal before the law. No one is above the law, not even the president of the United States.”
He continued, “Today’s court decision almost certainly means that there are virtually no limits on what a president may do. The man who sent that mob to the US Capitol is facing potential criminal conviction for what happened that day. The American people deserve to have an answer in the courts before the upcoming election.”
Biden referred to Trump’s trial for his alleged role in inciting the Capitol riot, adding, “Now, because of today’s court decision, that is highly, highly unlikely.” Following the Supreme Court’s ruling, the trial judge must determine which actions were carried out in Trump’s capacity as president, a process that could take months. Consequently, any trial is unlikely to begin before the November 5 election.
This ruling represents a significant boost for Trump, who called it a “big win” on his social media platform, Truth Social. The Supreme Court determined that former presidents have partial immunity from criminal prosecution—total immunity for official acts, but not for unofficial acts performed in a private capacity.
A lower court judge will now decide which actions are relevant to the criminal prosecution, where Trump is accused of attempting to overturn the 2020 election results. The Supreme Court majority opinion deemed his interactions with the Department of Justice (DoJ) immune from prosecution. Trump is accused of pressuring DoJ officials to investigate voter fraud despite a lack of evidence.
The three liberal justices on the Supreme Court strongly dissented. Justice Sonia Sotomayor remarked, “The president is now a king above the law.” Democratic Congresswoman Judy Chu warned of the decision’s far-reaching consequences, saying, “If a president says in any official capacity that they want to do something improper and criminal, he could be immune from the actions he takes.”
The court’s six-three ruling will significantly delay any trial—if it ever proceeds—until well after the November election. The ruling also applies to other criminal prosecutions facing Trump, including those involving top-secret documents found at his Florida home and the case in Georgia where he is accused of conspiring to overturn his narrow election defeat in the state.
