This week, Democrats hinted that, in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Trump v. U.S. regarding presidential immunity, former President Donald Trump may be able to lawfully pursue his political rivals if he were to retake office.
Van Jones, a journalist and activist for the Democratic Party, said that the ruling gave presidents a “license to thug.”
The Court ruled 6-3 that a president is completely immune from prosecution for official activities but not for unofficial ones, according to Breitbart News 8,429. The Supreme Court granted a president the authority to voice pre-trial objections regarding the classification of specific activities as “official” or “unofficial,” with the courts ultimately determining the distinction.
Democrats issued a warning, claiming that the “MAGA SCOTUS” has authorized presidents to assassinate their rivals in politics. They seemed to be taking their cue from Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who represented the liberals on the Court in her dissenting opinion:
“The Court upsets the status quo that has prevailed since the Founding by essentially establishing a lawless zone around the President. This new official-acts immunity now “is there like a loaded weapon” for any president who wants to put his personal interests—be they financial gain or political survival—ahead of those of the country. The United States President is the strongest individual in the nation if not the entire planet. The majority’s reasoning now protects him from criminal prosecution whenever he exercises his official duties. Who gives the order to kill a political adversary using the Navy’s Seal Team 6? Are they planning a military takeover to maintain control? Does anyone accept bribes in exchange for pardons? All three are immune. Permit the President to break the law, take advantage of his position’s perks for personal gain, and use his official authority for nefarious purposes. Given the possibility of facing legal repercussions for breaching the law, he may not exhibit the same level of audacity and fearlessness that we hold dear. Now, the majority’s message is clear. Even if these terrifying scenarios don’t materialize, as I fervently hope they don’t, the damage has already occurred. There has been an irreversible change in the connection between the president and the people he represents. The President is now king above the law in all of his uses of official power.”
Sotomayor appeared to be reiterating a quote from the Biden-Harris campaign.
A few Democrats were ecstatic at what they perceived to be presidential immunity and publicly expressed their desire for the Biden administration to remove Trump via military force.
In their mocking response, conservatives brought up the rumors of President Joe Biden’s illness:
Democrats seemed to concede that Biden had been doing so illegally when they argued that Trump, or any other president, could go for his opponents legally. This was evident in the Supreme Court’s ruling last week that prosecutors abused a federal statute to pursue certain individuals involved in the Capitol riot of January 6, 2021.
Biden-Harris Campaign Co-Chair Landrieu: This election is a choice about what kind of America you want. Trump continues to talk about revenge. He thinks he should have immunity to send SEAL Team Six after political opponents. Trump will be worse than he was the first time pic.twitter.com/mbrYRvcQp9
— Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) February 28, 2024
The case before the US Supreme Court is Trump v. United States, No. 23-939.