Washington, D.C. — Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that presidents are entitled to absolute or presumptive immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts that occurred during their time in the White House. As Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in dissent, the majority opinion “reshapes the institution of the Presidency … [and] makes a mockery of the principle … that no man is above the law.” In response, Patrick Gaspard, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
Today’s dangerous decision from the six extremists on the Supreme Court makes a mockery of the rule of law and will go down in history as one of the high court’s most disastrous opinions. It turns presidents into kings, finding—for the first time ever—that they enjoy sweeping immunity for their actions while in office. The court has now made it much harder to prosecute Donald Trump for his attempts to overturn the 2020 election. And it allows future presidents almost unlimited power to abuse their authority, including seemingly unfettered ability to weaponize the Department of Justice and direct the prosecution of political opponents.
Although the court remanded the case back to the district court for further proceedings, it has clearly put its thumb on the scale for Donald Trump by dragging this decision out and insulating many of his criminal acts from prosecution. Now, more than ever, we need to impose term limits on justices who have run amok, for the good of this nation.
For more information or to speak with an expert, contact Julia Cusick at [email protected].