Biden labels ‘dangerous’ Supreme Court ruling giving Trump partial immunity ‘terrible disservice’ to Americans
2 July 2024, 05:58
Joe Biden has described the Supreme Court ruling which gives former President Donald Trump partial immunity from criminal prosecution as setting a "dangerous precedent".
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Trump was celebrating on Monday after the Supreme Court sent his criminal case, which centres around his alleged plot to overturn the 2020 election result, back to the lower court.
The Supreme Court justices ruled 6-3 that the president carries immunity for "official acts" but not for "unofficial acts".
This does not mean the case will be thrown out but delayed significantly.
Given the ruling, the trial court judge will now seek to determine whether Trump's actions on January 6 were done so "officially".
While Trump hailed the decision a "victory for Democracy", Biden labelled it “a terrible disservice to the people of this nation”.
“This nation was founded on the principle that there are no Kings in America,” the US President said on Monday evening.
“Each of us equal before the law. No one is above the law, not even the President of the United States,” Biden continued.
“Today’s Supreme Court decision on the President’s immunity, that fundamentally changed.
Biden reiterated his belief that Trump set a ‘violent mob’ to the US Capitol on January 6
“Nearly four years ago, my predecessor sent a violent mob to the US Capitol ‘to stop the peaceful transfer of power’.
“We all saw it with our own eyes, we sat there and watched it happen that day,” Biden went on.
Just hours after the ruling, Trump's legal team went to the New York judge who presided over his historic hush money trial to set aside his conviction and delay his sentencing.
Trump is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11.
Meanwhile, the case relating to the January 6 charges will be sent back to the trial court to determine what is left of special counsel Jack Smith's indictment.
The liberal justices that sit in the Supreme Court have expressed their concern about the ruling, including Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
She said: "The President is now a king above the law."
Reacting to the news on Monday, Trump posted: "BIG WIN FOR OUR CONSTITUTION AND DEMOCRACY. PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!"
