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Jimmy Williams
President Joe Biden condemned the Supreme Court’s decision on Monday that granted some immunity to Donald Trump in his criminal election interference case, calling it “a terrible disservice to the people of this nation.”
“This nation was founded on the principle that there are no kings in America. Each, each of us is equal before the law. No one, no one is above the law, not even the president of the United States. [With] today’s Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity, that fundamentally changed for all practical purposes,” Biden said.
Biden emphasized that the decision undermines the principle of equality before the law, suggesting that it now implies “virtually no limits on what the president can do,” echoing the sentiments expressed by the court’s liberal justices in their dissents.
“I dissent,” Biden concluded his brief remarks from the White House.
The decision’s implications extend beyond Trump, providing similar immunity to Biden and future presidents. “The presidency is the most powerful office in the world. It’s an office that not only tests your judgment; perhaps even more importantly, it’s an office that can test your character. Because you not only face moments where you need the courage to exercise the full power of the presidency,” Biden said. “You also face moments where you need the wisdom to respect the limits of the power of the office of the presidency.”
Biden also expressed concern that the decision would delay the trial in Trump’s case, denying voters a resolution before the election. “The American people deserve to have an answer in the courts before the upcoming election,” Biden said. “The public has a right to know the answer about what happened on Jan. 6 before they are asked to vote again this year.”
He framed the lack of a trial as shifting the burden of judgment to voters. “The American people must decide whether Donald Trump’s assault on our democracy on Jan. 6th makes him unfit for public office in the highest office in the land. The American people must decide if Trump’s embrace of violence to preserve his power is acceptable,” Biden said. “Perhaps most importantly, the American people must decide if they want to entrust … the presidency to Donald Trump now knowing he’ll be more emboldened to do whatever he pleases.”
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Biden’s remarks.
In a 6-3 decision along ideological lines, the court rejected Trump’s claim of broad immunity but stated that some actions closely related to his constitutional duties as president are off-limits to prosecutors. The court instructed a lower court to differentiate between actions that qualify for immunity and those that do not.
Special counsel Jack Smith has charged Trump with counts related to the effort to overturn the 2020 election. Trump has pleaded not guilty and denied all wrongdoing.
Biden did not take questions from the media assembled in the White House for his remarks, including one asking whether he would withdraw from the presidential race. Despite a disappointing debate performance, Biden has faced calls from within his party to step aside for another nominee who might be better positioned to challenge Trump. So far, Biden has resisted these calls.
