Joe Biden Criticizes Supreme Court Ruling on Trump's Immunity
In a statement from the White House, President Joe Biden emphasized that 'no one is above the law, not even the president of the United States.' He expressed his concerns regarding the recent Supreme Court ruling that grants former President Donald Trump 'partial immunity' from prosecution. Biden described the ruling as a 'dangerous precedent' and stressed the importance of holding Trump accountable for his actions, particularly in relation to the January 6, 2021 assault on the American Congress.
Biden stated, 'Americans must decide whether it is acceptable that the tycoon encouraged violence to maintain power.' He further emphasized that the American people deserve to see Trump's trial take place before the upcoming elections.
Supreme Court Ruling on Trump's Immunity
The US Supreme Court ruled that Donald Trump enjoys 'partial immunity' from prosecution as a former president. This decision could delay his trial on charges of conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The ruling was based on the ideological division among the judges, with a majority of 6 conservative judges compared to 3 liberal judges.
The court's decision means that former presidents have immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within their constitutional authority but do not have absolute immunity for acts of a personal nature. The issue of granting immunity to Trump in judicial prosecutions has been returned to a lower court in Washington to decide the start of Trump's trial in the case of his supporters storming Congress.
Reactions and Implications
Donald Trump welcomed the ruling, calling it 'a great victory for our democracy and our Constitution' on his social media network, Truth Social. On the other hand, Biden's campaign team strongly criticized Trump, accusing him of losing his mind after the 2020 elections and encouraging a gang to overturn the results. They argued that Trump believes he is above the law and will do anything to gain and maintain power.
Trump faces several legal challenges, including a conviction in New York for 34 criminal counts of falsifying business records to hide payments made during the 2016 presidential election. He also faces charges in Washington and Georgia related to the 2020 election results and in Florida for mishandling classified documents. While his lawyers have managed to postpone most of these trials, the New York case is the only one likely to be tried before the election. If re-elected, Trump could potentially end federal prosecutions against him upon taking office in January 2025.
- Al Jazeera's correspondent in Washington, Murad Hashem, described the Supreme Court ruling as historic, noting that it will apply to all previous presidencies. This means that all American presidents will have partial immunity limited to their actions related to their official powers and practices, excluding behaviors that may be interpreted as personal motives.
- Trump was convicted last May in New York of 34 criminal counts of falsifying business records to hide money paid during the 2016 presidential election to silence porn star Stormy Daniels, who claims to have had a sexual relationship with Trump. This made Trump the first former US president to be convicted of a crime, with sentencing set for July 11.
- In addition to the New York case, Trump faces charges in Washington and Georgia on suspicion of seeking to change the results of the 2020 elections. He is also accused in Florida of mishandling classified documents after leaving the White House. Trump's lawyers have successfully postponed these trials, but the New York case remains the only one likely to proceed before the election.
- If Donald Trump is elected again, he could order the end of federal prosecutions against him immediately after his inauguration in January 2025.
