SCOTUS Rules Trump Has Immunity For “Official Acts”

July 1, 2024 Trump Corruption, Trump Lies

NBC News reports:

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority decision in the Trump immunity ruling. It’s a complicated ruling — attempting to draw a line between official and unofficial acts.

“This case poses a question of lasting significance: When may a former President be prosecuted for official acts taken during his Presidency? In answering that question, unlike the political branches and the public at large, the Court cannot afford to fixate exclusively, or even primarily, on present exigencies.

“Enduring separation of powers principles guide our decision in this case. The President enjoys no immunity for his unofficial acts, and not everything the President does is official. The President is not above the law.

“But under our system of separated powers, the President may not be prosecuted for exercising his core constitutional powers, and he is entitled to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for his official acts. That immunity applies equally to all occupants of the Oval Office.”

The New York Times reports:

The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that former President Donald J. Trump is entitled to some level of immunity from prosecution, a decision that may effectively delay the trial of the case against him on charges of plotting to subvert the 2020 election. The vote was 6 to 3, dividing along partisan lines.

Mr. Trump contended that he is entitled to absolute immunity from the charges, relying on a broad understanding of the separation of powers and a 1982 Supreme Court precedent that recognized such immunity in civil cases for actions taken by presidents within the “outer perimeter” of their official responsibilities.

Lower courts rejected Mr. Trump’s claim, but the Supreme Court’s ruling may delay the case enough that Mr. Trump would be able to make it go away entirely if he prevails in November.

The Washington Post reports:

The Supreme Court says presidents have ‘absolute’ immunity for clearly official acts, but no immunity for unofficial acts. Former president and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump faces four federal felony counts in D.C. for allegedly trying to undo Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.

The high court’s 6-3 ruling sends the case back to the lower court to determine when and whether Trump will go to trial.

The ruling capped a term marked by new conservative limits on the power of regulatory agencies and by a fresh round of ethics scandals for the justices, whose public approval ratings remain at historic lows.


About today’s other big ruling:



The lawsuit, filed by NetChoice, arose after Governor Greg Abbott enacted a law that aims to prevent large social media platforms from censoring users based on their viewpoints, known as HB 20.

NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) sued in federal court, arguing that requiring platforms to host objectionable content violates their First Amendment right to control speech on their private platforms.

Attorney General Ken Paxton is responsible for enforcing the Texas law that NetChoice and the CCIA challenged. He argued HB 20 is vital in ensuring that conservative voices are not discriminantly silenced by social media companies, which he believes should be neutral towards users based on their viewpoints.

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