With Monday’s Supreme Court ruling, it’s almost certain that Donald Trump will not face trial for interfering with the 2020 election before November when this country will vote for its next President.
In a 6-3 decision, the high court’s conservative majority declared that former presidents are protected from prosecution for official acts but not for unofficial acts. The case will be sent back to the lower court to decide whether key parts of the indictment are unofficial or official and potentially protected from prosecution.
The ruling is a win for Trump. Should he defeat Biden in November, he could conceivably appoint an attorney general to dismiss the election interference case and other federal prosecutions he faces. He could also pardon himself.
As expected, the historic ruling elicited a wave of reaction from national and state officials, especially Democratic lawmakers.
Let’s be clear: no one should be above the law. Not even a sitting United States President.
Today’s Supreme Court decision in the Donald Trump immunity case threatens the rule of law. A THREAD.
— Senator Dick Durbin (@SenatorDurbin) July 1, 2024
In America, no one should be above the law.
But this Supreme Court’s majority—including three of Trump’s hand-picked Justices—just sent a message to Donald Trump and any other would-be dictator that, as Justice Sotomayor dissented:
The President is now a king above the law. pic.twitter.com/SsBNomFx8b
— Tammy Duckworth (@SenDuckworth) July 1, 2024
Governor JB Pritzker has released the following statement:
“No person, not even a president, ought to be above the law. SCOTUS today left open that possibility. When Trump tried to overturn the results of an election he lost in 2020, it was not the official act of a president. It was the act of a despotic narcissist attempting to overthrow our democracy to cling to power, and he needs to answer for his actions.”
DNC Chair Jaime Harrison released the following statement:
“Today’s ruling only underscores the stakes of this election – this is not just about partisan politics, this is about freedom. Here are the facts: on January 6, Donald Trump inspired a mob of violent insurrectionists, who attempted to overturn the results of a free and fair election. He has repeatedly put himself above our democracy, our Constitution, and the American people. It’s hard to believe, but Trump has only become more unhinged in the years since he lost to Joe Biden, promising to be a dictator on ‘day one,’ suggesting the ‘termination’ of our Constitution to overturn valid election results, and warning of a ‘bloodbath’ if he loses again. The only thing standing between Donald Trump and his threats to our democracy is President Biden – and the American people will stand once again on the side of democracy this November.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.