An article in the Washington Post described the decision. US Supreme Court Which stipulated the right of former US presidents to enjoy immunity, as a victory forDonald Trump For several reasons, and it will have repercussions in the upcoming presidential campaign and beyond.
The US Supreme Court ruled yesterday, Monday, that former President Donald Trump has the right to enjoy immunity from criminal prosecution for the actions he took in the exercise of his constitutional powers while he was president.for the united statesHowever, the right to immunity does not extend to the unofficial acts of former presidents.
The court’s decision on Trump’s request was issued by a majority of 6 conservative justices against 3 liberal justices, reflecting the ideological division among the court’s justices.
Informal verbs
According to journalist Aaron Blake in his article in the newspaper, the last part of the decision that does not grant immunity for the unofficial actions of American presidents opens the door to continuing Trump’s trial related to sabotaging the 2020 presidential election.
But the court’s justices did not take into account some of Trump’s behavior, and did not rule on many of them, which will lead to a protracted legal battle that will likely push the legal proceedings beyond the 2024 election, in which Trump will be the nominee. the Republican Party It is supposed to be, as stated in the article.
In his article, Blake drew 4 conclusions from the court’s decision, which were as follows:
1- Clear victory for Trump
Although Trump did not obtain the “absolute” immunity he initially sought for all of his actions, the decision is a clear political victory for him.
loose standards
The justices did not go into detail about what is fair and unfair in Trump’s trials, but instead set “broad” standards and sent the case back to U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan to consider how those standards affect the case.
The Supreme Court ruled that Trump was immune from prosecution for pressuring the then-vice president. Mike Pence To overturn the January 6, 2021, election, because Trump’s actions “include official conduct.”
The justices’ decision left open the possibility of prosecuting Trump for other actions, particularly those involving people outside the executive branch and in the states. “This alleged conduct cannot be accurately classified as falling within the specific function of the presidency,” they ruled.
All of this means, in Blake’s opinion, that some of Trump’s behaviors can still be prosecuted, but some cannot, and that is what needs to be decided.
2- The decision will likely postpone prosecuting Trump in other lawsuits until after the 2024 elections.
While Trump could still technically be impeached, the decision would create a great deal of uncertainty, most importantly for the 2024 election, and potentially delay things even further.
Not before the elections
Trump was not expected to face trial before the election, so the decision diminishes any chance of that, because Judge Chutkan will have to consider what aspects of the case before her are now permissible.
Chutkan had previously said she would give Trump’s legal team three months to prepare for trial if the case was returned to her, meaning the earliest trial date was already in October, regardless of what new decisions had to be made.
3- Liberal judges warned of dire consequences.
It is tempting to view this decision in the context of Trump’s impeachment, Blake writes, because that is the immediate concern. But it will also have far-reaching implications for future presidents, including Trump himself if he wins a second term.
The luckiest
This decision comes at a time when Trump appears to be the most likely candidate to regain power. White House In the 2024 election, after President Joe Biden’s poor performance in the debate that brought them together last Thursday, where the former president showed at least a tendency to exceed the limits of the law and presidential authority.
Liberal justices who voted against granting immunity fear that the Supreme Court’s decision will provide Trump with a road map for exploiting those powers.
4- Panicked Democrats are getting hit by hit by hit.
The decision comes as a culmination of a very bad period for For Democrats It spanned five days. Biden’s poor debate performance last Thursday was followed by two Supreme Court decisions limiting government prosecutions of those accused of breaking into the Congress headquarters On January 6, 2020, it is a major public relations victory for Trump, and gives the right a long-awaited tool to challenge federal officials.
Blake believes that this ruling will, at the very least, complicate the government’s case against Trump, and may enable him to exercise executive power in more extreme ways in a second term.
Given this possibility, which Democrats fear greatly, the ruling is likely to add further significance to discussions within their party about how to proceed in the 2024 elections, and whether Joe Biden He will remain the right candidate to assume the responsibility of the presidency.