The United States Supreme Court rules Trump has some immunity from prosecution to the euphoria of his supporters.
The US Supreme Court issues a long-awaited ruling on whether Donald Trump is immune from prosecution for official actions taken while in office.
Dissenting justice: President is now a king above the law
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissented the opinion.
Justice Sotomayor called the consequences of the court’s decision “stark” and said the court’s decision allows a president to use official powers to be insulated from criminal prosecution.
Trump has some immunity from prosecution
“Today’s decision to grant former Presidents criminal immunity reshapes the institution of the presidency,” she wrote.
Justice Sotomayor said a president would now be protected if they order the Navy’s Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival, organise a military dissenting coup to hold onto power, or take bribes in exchange for a pardon.
“Even if these nightmare scenarios never play out, and I pray they never do, the damage has been done,” she wrote and you can follow this live on our US channel on X
The US has never needed this question answered
This is a ruling that will leave the former president and his team quite pleased. This ruling does not give Trump total immunity but nonetheless it is a victory for Trump and his supporters MAGA.
Trump wrote on social media:
“BIG WIN FOR OUR CONSTITUTION AND DEMOCRACY. PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!”
This case poses a question of lasting significance: When may a former President be prosecuted for official acts taken during his Presidency? Our Nation has never before needed an answer. But in addressing that question today, unlike the political branches and the public at large, we cannot afford to fixate exclusively, or even primarily, on present exigencies”
Chief Justice John Roberts
The court added, however, that Trump does not have immunity for non-official actions, which means he could still face some charges in the lower courts for ‘non-official acts’.
At the very least, the court’s decision guarantees that this case will be delayed well beyond November’s presidential election as the lower court applies the details of this decision.