Supreme Court Grants Trump Partial Immunity
Former US President Donald Trump
Donald Trump has been spared from prosecution for some actions he took while president of the United States. This decision was given by the US Supreme Court on Monday. According to the court's ruling, Trump will have immunity for actions taken as president under the Constitution.
However, there is no immunity for actions taken outside this jurisdiction. Six of the Supreme Court's nine justices favored Trump's acquittal, while three were against it. This marks the first time in modern US history that the Supreme Court has decided to acquit a former president from criminal charges.
A lower court had rejected Trump's request for immunity from charges related to his efforts to change the outcome of the 2020 election. The Supreme Court's decision nullified the lower court's ruling, making it much more difficult for public prosecutors to handle cases against Trump concerning election interference and the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. Chief Justice John Roberts issued a directive that undermined the way government counsel had framed the case.
Special Counsel Jack Smith's main allegation—that Trump pressured then-Vice President Mike Pence not to recognize Joe Biden's victory—will now be harder to prove as being outside presidential authority. Similarly, Trump's communications with Justice Department officials and his comments leading up to the Capitol attack are unlikely to hold up in court.
The Supreme Court's decision indicates that the election interference and Capitol attack cases against Trump will not progress significantly before the November presidential election.
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