President Joe Biden on Monday condemned the Supreme Court’s decision which ruled that presidents have an absolute immunity from prosecution for core official acts, and issued a stern warning over a possible second term for former President Donald Trump.
“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,” Biden said in a speech from the White House.
“(With) today’s Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity, that fundamentally changed. For all practical purposes, there are virtually no limits on what the president can do. It’s a fundamentally new principle and it’s a dangerous precedent because the power of the office will no longer be constrained by the law even including the supreme court of the United States.”
The Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision along ideological lines, ruled that Trump may claim immunity from criminal prosecution for some of the actions he took as president before leaving office, likely delaying his federal election subversion trial related to his actions on January 6 even further.
The ruling rejects a decision from a federal appeals court in February that found the former president enjoyed no immunity for alleged crimes he committed during his presidency to reverse the 2020 election results.
Biden repeatedly warned that the limits of the president’s power now solely rest with the holder of the office and the choices that person makes. He said Trump would be a danger in that role.
