Biden criticizes Supreme Court immunity ruling as encouraging a lawless president

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden called the Supreme Court’s decision Monday to grant Donald Trump some immunity in his criminal election interference trial “a terrible disservice to the people of this nation.”

“This nation was founded on the principle that there are no kings in America. Everyone, every one of us is equal before the law. No one, no one is above the law, not even the President of the United States. (With) today’s Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity, that has fundamentally changed in every practical sense,” Biden said.

Biden said the decision meant there were now “virtually no limits to what the president can do,” a view that reflected dissenting opinions from the court’s liberal justices.

“I disagree,” Biden said at the end of his brief remarks from the White House.

Given the nature of the decision, the immunity described in the Trump case also applies to Biden and other future occupants of the Oval Office.

“The presidency is the most powerful office in the world. It is an office that not only tests your judgment; perhaps more importantly, it is an office that can test your character. Because not only do you experience moments when you need the courage to wield the full power of the presidency,” Biden said. “You also experience moments when you need the wisdom to respect the limits of the power of the presidency.”

Biden also said the decision would delay the start of a trial in the case before the election, which he said would deny voters a resolution to the charges against Trump.

“The American people have a right to get an answer from the courts before the upcoming election,” Biden said. “The public has a right to know the answer to what happened on January 6th before they are asked to vote again this year.”

Biden described the lack of a trial as a shift from the courts to the ballot box.

“The American people must decide whether Donald Trump’s attack on our democracy on January 6 makes him unfit for the highest public office in the land. The American people must decide whether Trump’s use of violence to maintain his power is acceptable,” Biden said.

“Perhaps most importantly, the American people must decide whether to trust Donald Trump with the presidency, knowing that it will make him even bolder to do whatever he pleases,” Biden added.

The Trump team did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Biden’s comments.

In a 6-3 decision guided by ideological principles, the court rejected Trump’s claim for broad immunity but declared that some of his actions, closely related to his constitutional duties as president, were off-limits to prosecutors. The court ordered a lower court to consider which of his actions were immune and which were not.

Special Counsel Jack Smith has charged Trump in connection with the attempt to overturn the 2020 election. Trump pleaded not guilty and denied any wrongdoing.

Biden did not answer any questions about his comments from the media gathered at the White House. One of them shouted at him and asked if he would drop out of the presidential campaign.

After a disappointing performance in the debate, Biden faced calls from within his own party to step aside and let the party put forward another candidate who might have a better chance of challenging Trump. Biden has so far resisted these calls.