WASHINGTON: The US Supreme Court on Monday ruled that Donald Trump enjoys some immunity from prosecution for official acts as a former president, a ruling that may delay his trial for conspiring to overturn the 2020 election.
The 6-3 decision, split along ideological lines, has sparked immediate reactions across the political spectrum and promises to shape legal precedents for future presidents. The ruling comes just four months before the upcoming election, where Trump is positioned as the Republican candidate challenging Democrat Joe Biden.
The case before the Supreme Court centered on whether Trump could be prosecuted for his alleged role in conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The Court’s majority opinion, delivered by its conservative-leaning justices, asserted that presidents possess a form of immunity for official acts performed while in office.
Chief Justice John Roberts, in his majority opinion, said a president enjoys “absolute immunity” from criminal prosecution for official acts taken while in office.
“There is no immunity for unofficial acts,” the Chief Justice said, sending the case back to a lower court to determine which of the charges facing the former president involves official or unofficial conduct.
The three liberal justices dissented, with Justice Sonia Sotomayor saying “Never in the history of our Republic has a President had reason to believe that he would be immune from criminal prosecution if he used the trappings of his office to violate the criminal law.” “With fear for our democracy, I dissent,” she said.
Trump’s original trial date in the election case had been for March 4, well before his November rematch with President Joe Biden.
But the Supreme Court — dominated by conservatives, including the three appointed by Trump during his term in office — agreed in February to hear his argument for presidential immunity, putting the case on hold while they considered the matter in April.
Facing four criminal cases, Trump has been doing everything in his power to delay the trials at least until after the election.
On May 30, a New York court convicted Trump on 34 felony charges of falsifying business records to cover up a sex scandal in the final stages of the 2016 presidential campaign, making Trump the first former US president ever convicted of a crime. His sentencing will take place on July 11.
The New York hush money case was considered the weakest of the four cases by many legal experts, but likely the only one that will see trial before the vote.
By filing many pre-trial motions, Trump’s lawyers have managed to put on hold the three other trials, which deal with his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results and hoarding top-secret documents at his home in Florida.
If re-elected, Trump could, once sworn in as president in January 2025, order the federal trials against him closed.
“Big win for our constitution and democracy. Proud to be an American!” Trump declared in a post on his Truth Social platform, expressing his satisfaction with the Court’s decision.
The ruling effectively puts Trump’s trial on hold, potentially until after the upcoming election cycle. Critics argue that this delay could undermine efforts to hold Trump accountable for his actions following his electoral defeat.
In response to the Court’s decision, Joe Biden’s reelection campaign issued a scathing rebuke of Trump. “Donald Trump snapped after he lost the 2020 election and encouraged a mob to overthrow the results,” the Biden campaign stated. “He thinks he’s above the law and is willing to do anything to gain and hold onto power for himself.”
