US President Joe Biden has criticised the “dangerous precedent” set by the Supreme Court’s ruling granting former and future presidents immunity from prosecution for official acts saying it gives the executive office, and possibly Donald Trump, the power “to do whatever he pleases, whenever he wants to do it.”
Biden said that the court had done “a terrible disservice” to the people of this nation by effectively blocking any chance that Trump could see trial related to the January 6 riot.
The US Supreme Court on Monday (local time) delivered its ruling, in which the 6-3 majority 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.
He quoted and concurred with liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s dissent against the ruling that the majority decision means that “the President is now a king above law with fear for our democracy” and she urged the American people should dissent too. “I dissent,” Biden added.
“Each, each of us is equal before the law. No one is above the law, not even the president of the United States,” Biden said during his live remarks from the White House.
Biden added, “With today’s Supreme Court decision and presidential immunity that fundamentally changed for all practical purposes, today’s decision almost certainly means that there are virtually no limits on what the president can do.”
Biden once again blamed Trump for the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol and said the American people deserve to have an answer in the courts about what happened then, before they vote in November’s election.
“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,” Biden said.
Criticising the apex court’s decision, Biden said that the decision undermines the rule of law of this country.
“This decision today, has continued the court’s attack in recent years on a wide range of long-established legal principles in our nation. From gutting voting rights and civil rights to taking away a woman’s right to choose, to today’s decision that undermines the rule of law of this nation,” he said.
Biden emphasised that the American people must decide whether Trump’s assault on January 6 makes him unfit for handling public office in the country.
“The American people must decide whether Donald Trump’s assault on our democracy on Jan. 6 makes him unfit for the highest office in the land,” he said.
“Perhaps most importantly, the American people must decide if they want to entrust the president, once again, the presidency, to Donald Trump, now knowing that he will be more emboldened to do whatever he pleases, whatever he wants to do,” he added.