Trump Makes Big Announcement After SCOTUS Grants Him Immunity
Less than an hour after the Supreme Court issued a significant ruling on Monday, which grants broad immunity to sitting presidents during “official” activities, former president Donald Trump declared it a “huge win.”
The Republican leader passionately praised the decision, asserting it validated his long-held claims of being the victim of a “witch hunt” and “political hit job” orchestrated by President Joe Biden and, indirectly, Jack Smith, the special prosecutor from the Justice Department who is overseeing two federal cases against him. Trump made these comments on Truth Social and in an interview with Fox News.
“BIG WIN FOR OUR CONSTITUTION AND DEMOCRACY. PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!” Trump proclaimed on his signature social media platform. He later told Fox that the decision is a “big win for our Constitution and for democracy.”
“I have been harassed by the Democrat Party, Joe Biden, Obama and their thugs, fascists and communists for years,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “And now the courts have spoken.” He added, “This is a big win for our Constitution and for democracy. Now I am free to campaign like anyone else. We are leading in every poll – by a lot – and we will make America great again.”
Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the six-member majority, asserted that presidents have extensive discretion without fear of punishment. He sent the specifics of the ruling back to the lower courts for further clarification. Chief Justice Roberts’ majority opinion states, “The President therefore may not be prosecuted for exercising his core constitutional powers, and he is entitled, at a minimum, to a presumptive immunity from prosecution for all his official acts,” and adds, “That immunity applies equally to all occupants of the Oval Office, regardless of politics, policy, or party.”
Smith is likely to exploit the ruling’s acknowledgment that not all actions by a sitting president are “official,” and that non-official acts remain subject to legal action.
The prosecutor continues to pursue felony charges against Trump related to the classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago and his comments regarding the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots, despite the new ruling.
Smith will have the opportunity to argue in upcoming federal court hearings in Florida and Washington, D.C., that Trump handled the documents and tweeted to encourage his supporters to protest in the nation’s capital while acting in his personal capacity.