'A King Above The Law': Biden Raps Landmark US Supreme Court Ruling On Trump Immunity | Watch

US President Joe Biden on Monday rebuked the US Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on presidential immunity, warning that it sets a “dangerous precedent” for his presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump, to exploit if elected in November.

The top court ruled earlier that day that all US presidents enjoy “absolute immunity” from criminal prosecution for “official acts” taken while in office, but can still face criminal penalties for “unofficial acts.” During his White House address, Biden concurred with liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who said, “In every use of official power, the president is now a king above the law.”

This ruling comes as Trump is facing criminal charges over his attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden, but that trial had been put on hold while the Supreme Court considered his immunity claims. “For all practical purposes today’s decision almost certainly means there are no limits to what a president can do. This is a fundamentally new principle, and it’s a dangerous precedent,” Biden said in a speech at the White House.

The 6-3 ruling on Monday, split along ideological lines, is set to further delay proceedings in Trump’s case as lower courts work through myriad questions raised in the Supreme Court decision. With only four months left until the presidential election, the delays likely mean the case will not reach trial before voters head to the polls. “The American people must decide if they want to entrust… once again, the presidency to Donald Trump, now knowing he’ll be more emboldened to do whatever he pleases, whenever he wants to do it,” Biden said.

‘Absolute immunity’

Conservative Chief Justice John Roberts, in his majority opinion, said a president is “not above the law” but does have “absolute immunity” from criminal prosecution for official acts taken while in office. “The president therefore may not be prosecuted for exercising his core constitutional powers,” Roberts said.

“As for a President’s unofficial acts, there is no immunity,” the chief justice added, sending the case back to a lower court to determine which of the charges facing Trump involve official or unofficial conduct. The 78-year-old former president is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States as well as obstruction of an official proceeding — when a violent mob of his supporters tried to prevent the January 6, 2021, joint session of Congress held to certify Biden’s victory.

Three liberal justices

The three liberal justices dissented from Monday’s ruling with Justice Sonia Sotomayor saying she was doing so “with fear for our democracy.” “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,” Sotomayor said. “In every use of official power, the President is now a king above the law.” “Orders the Navy’s Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival? Immune. Organizes a military coup to hold onto power? Immune. Takes a bribe in exchange for a pardon? Immune. Immune, immune, immune,” she said.

Trump, in posts on Truth Social, welcomed the decision calling it a “big win for our Constitution and democracy.” “Today’s Historic Decision by the Supreme Court should end all of Crooked Joe Biden’s Witch Hunts against me,” he said. Trump’s original trial date in the election subversion case had been March 4. But the Supreme Court — dominated by conservatives, including three appointed by Trump — agreed to hear his argument for absolute immunity, putting the case on hold while they considered the matter in April.

(With agency inputs)