Former President Donald Trump said the Supreme Court gave democracy a massive victory Monday by ruling that presidents have immunity from prosecution for official acts.
The ruling did not determine where the line between official and unofficial acts that have no immunity exists.
The court ruled that “the separation of powers principles” requires “at least a presumptive immunity from criminal prosecution for a President’s acts within the outer perimeter of his official responsibility. Such an immunity is required to safeguard the independence and effective functioning of the Executive Branch, and to enable the President to carry out his constitutional duties without undue caution.”
Justices John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett voted in favor of the ruling. Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson made up the minority.
Trump said, he hopes the ruling brings an end to multiple court cases against him.
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“I have been harassed by the Democrat Party, Joe Biden, Obama, and their thugs, fascists, and communists for years,” Trump said, according to Fox News. “And now the courts have spoken.”
“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,” Trump said.
The ruling said presidential immunity for official acts is a core Constitutional principle.
“Under our constitutional structure of separated powers, the nature of Presidential power entitles a former President to absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within his conclusive and preclusive constitutional authority,” the court ruled.
Are the prosecutions of Trump politically motivated?
“And he is entitled to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for all his official acts. There is no immunity for unofficial acts,” the ruling said.
“This case is the first criminal prosecution in our Nation’s history of a former President for actions taken during his Presidency. Determining whether and under what circumstances such a prosecution may proceed requires careful assessment of the scope of Presidential power under the Constitution,” the ruling said.
“The nature of that power requires that a former President have some immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts during his tenure in office,” the court ruled.
“Criminally prosecuting a president for official conduct undoubtedly poses a far greater threat of intrusion on the authority and functions of the Executive Branch than simply seeking evidence in his possession,” the court ruled.
“The danger is greater than what led the Court to recognize absolute Presidential immunity from civil damages liability — that the President would be chilled from taking the ‘bold and unhesitating action’ required of an independent Executive,” the ruling said.
“That immunity applies equally to all occupants of the Oval Office, regardless of politics, policy, or party,” the ruling said.
On Truth Social, Trump said, the ruling “should end all of Crooked Joe Biden’s Witch Hunts against me, including the New York Hoaxes — The Manhattan SCAM cooked up by Soros backed D.A., Alvin Bragg, Racist New York Attorney General Tish James’ shameless ATTACK on the amazing business that I have built …”
“BIG WIN FOR OUR CONSTITUTION AND DEMOCRACY. PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!” Trump wrote in a separate post.
