Washington — President Biden condemned the Historic Supreme Court ruling that former President Donald Trump is immune from prosecution for official acts he performed while in office. According to him, this means “almost certainly there are virtually no limitations on what the president can do.”
“This is a fundamentally new principle, and it sets a dangerous precedent, because the power of the office will no longer be limited by law, not even by the Supreme Court of the United States,” Biden said in a brief address from the White House on Monday. “The only limits will be imposed by the president himself.”
Biden said the decision means “any president, including Donald Trump, is now free to ignore the law.”
The Supreme Court’s decision fell along ideological lines, with the six Republican-appointed justices concluding that former presidents enjoy broad legal protections from being sued for alleged actions taken within the scope of their official duties. But the Supreme Court rejected Trump’s argument that he shall enjoy absolute immunity unless impeached by the House of Representatives and convicted by the Senate.
The decision makes it virtually impossible for Trump to be tried before the November election on charges that he plotted to overturn his 2020 loss to Biden.
The Supreme Court ordered the Washington district judge overseeing the election case to investigate whether Trump’s alleged conduct described in the complaint was official or unofficial.
“The public has a right to know the answer to the question of what happened on January 6 before they… [are] asked to vote again this year. Now, because of today’s decision, that is very, very unlikely. It’s a terrible disservice to the people of this country,” Mr. Biden said.
“Now the American people must do what the court should have been prepared to do but will not,” he continued. “The American people must judge Donald Trump’s conduct. The American people must decide whether Donald Trump’s January 6 attack on our democracy disqualifies him from holding public office, the highest office in the land. The American people must decide that Trump’s embrace of violence to maintain his power is acceptable.”
The president declined to answer questions after his statement.
Biden’s campaign said Monday that the immunity decision “does not change the facts” about the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
“Donald Trump became upset after losing the 2020 election and encouraged a mob to overturn the results of a free and fair election,” the campaign said in a statement. The campaign accused Trump of having become “even more deranged” since then.
