Trump supporters celebrate Supreme Court ruling on qualified presidential immunity
07/03/2024 / By Cassie B.
The Supreme Court has just declared that American presidents enjoy full immunity from criminal prosecution when they are carrying out official government business in a ruling that many Trump supporters are welcoming.
The decision could pose a roadblock for prosecutor Jack Smith’s case against Trump for his alleged attempt to subvert the results of the 2020 presidential election and will almost certainly push his trial back to after the elections, which could help his chances of being reelected. It may not be an outright victory, but it is considered one of the best outcomes he could have expected from the ruling.
In the decision, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote: “The President enjoys no immunity for his unofficial acts, and not everything the President does is official. The President is not above the law. But under our system of separated powers, the President may not be prosecuted for exercising his core constitutional powers, and he is entitled to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for his official acts.”
The ruling does not cover unofficial acts and does not mean that Trump may not be held accountable in some way for what happened on January 6; it is now up to a lower court to decide if his actions were conducted in an official or unofficial capacity. However, it comes just as the Biden campaign has been going into overdrive trying to hold on to his chances of securing a second term despite a disastrous debate performance that earned headlines around the world highlighting his mental incompetence and sparked calls from his own party to step down.
Trump himself was quick to share his relief, writing on Truth Social: “BIG WIN FOR OUR CONSTITUTION AND DEMOCRACY. PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!”
Legal expert and George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley called it a “major victory” for Trump, telling Fox News’ Dana Perino and Bret Baier: “This case is going to have to go back to the district court, which is going to have to try to thread this needle to determine what in the case would not fall under these protections, but this is obviously a win for President Trump in the sense that the special counsel was arguing, as with the lower court, that there was very little immunity here to be concerned with.”
Meanwhile, Representative Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) called it a “big win”, writing on X: “President Trump said it best: if a president doesn’t have immunity, nothing can be accomplished in office.”
He added: “The RADICAL LEFT can no longer continue with their KANGAROO courts, and their BLATANT bending of the law for an administration they disagree with and a group of people they HATE.”
Trump allies call out Biden and Democrats for trying to use “lawfare” against him
Many Trump allies maintain that the ruling is a big blow to Democrats who are trying to use the legal system to sway the election in a tactic dubbed “lawfare.”
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana) said: “While it’s becoming increasingly clear Democrats believe their only path to victory in November is through prosecuting their political opponent, today’s decision makes it clear this is not allowed in our constitutional system.”
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minnesota) shared a similar sentiment: “The Democrats have proven they will do everything in their power… to destroy [Trump]. Today’s Supreme Court decision is a positive step in the right direction of ending their senseless lawfare.”
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big government, cancel Democrats, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Justice Democrats, Lawfare, presidential immunity, progress, Supreme Court, Trump, Vote Republican, White House
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