The landmark ruling means that Trump’s attempts to interfere with the outcome of the 2020 election and charges of inciting the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, will go to a lower court, which will decide whether those actions were official acts.
Prosecutors allege that Trump pressured officials to overturn the result of the election he lost to Joe Biden and that he tried to exploit the invasion of the Capitol in an effort to stay in power. According to the decision, These actions would fall within the realm of what they consider “official”However this classification must be decided by other lower courts.
Trump’s efforts to pressure then-Vice President Mike Pence not to certify Joe Biden’s electoral victory — a key part of special counsel Jack Smith’s case against him — are the type of official actions subject to a high standard of review.
Trump is running for president again in this year’s election. The Supreme Court’s decision makes it possible that these cases will be heard only after the November elections.
The court found that Trump enjoys blanket immunity for official actions related to his basic constitutional duties as president. In addition, there is a presumption of immunity for any other official acts.
The BBC’s Anthony Zurcher in the United States says prosecutors will now have to work much harder to take cases to lower courts.
The decision was a vote of 6 in favor and 3 against. Justice Sonia Sotomayor was among those who opposed the measure.
He said Trump’s immunity made him “fear for our democracy” and that “the president is now a king above the law.”
Sotomayor said a president would now be “protected if he orders the Navy to assassinate a political opponent, leads a dissident military coup to retain power, or accepts bribes in exchange for a pardon.”
“Even if these nightmare scenarios never happen, and I pray they never do, the damage has already been done,” she wrote.
Under the ruling, Trump’s communications with Justice Department officials enjoy blanket immunity.
Chief Justice John Roberts outlined guidelines that could be particularly damaging to the prosecution’s case.
However, the court said Trump does not have immunity for informal actions, meaning he could still face some charges.
The conviction also involved a new application of state and federal fraud and campaign finance laws.
Trump secured the Republican presidential nomination during primaries earlier this year and is expected to lead the party’s ticket when it holds its national convention in July.
