The conservative majority of the US Supreme Court has granted Donald Trump at least partial immunity from prosecution. Presidents cannot be prosecuted for “official” acts, the ruling said. Liberal forces in the US are foaming with anger.
New York Representative Alexadria Ocasio-Cortez called the Supreme Court’s decision an “assault on American democracy.” House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries warned of a “dangerous precedent for the future of our nation.”
However, Donald Trump posted in large letters on his ‘Truth Social’ platform shortly after the verdict: ‘BIG WIN FOR OUR CONSTITUTION AND DEMOCRACY. PROUD TO BE AMERICAN!’
Judges’ burning objections
The Supreme Court’s three liberal justices, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissented from the conservative majority’s opinion by a six-to-three vote.
“The relationship between the President and the people he serves has been irrevocably changed. In every exercise of his authority, the President is now a king above the law,” Sotomayor said in the joint statement.
The case is not just about Trump’s attempts to reinterpret the 2020 election results. The justices warned of the “serious” long-term consequences of the decision, noting that their court had created a kind of “lawless zone” around the presidency. This new immunity for official acts now lies “like a loaded weapon” for any “commander in chief” who seeks to put his own interests, his own political survival or his own financial gain above the interests of the nation.
For the liberal judges, the reasons for the verdict did not make it sufficiently clear what was “official” and what was “private” – and therefore relevant for criminal prosecution.
Judge fears horror scenarios
The US president is already the most powerful person in the US, “possibly in the world”. According to Sotomayor, real horror scenarios could play out. “He orders Navy Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival? Immune!” A coup to stay in power? Here too, according to the highest court, there is no threat of prosecution. A pardon for money? “Immune, immune, immune.”
Sometimes justices end their dissent with a mild and polite note, writing, “With all due respect, I disagree.” Justice Sotomayor instead concluded her letter, “For fear for our democracy, I must disagree.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
