Supreme Court to Decide on Trump’s Immunity: A Landmark Ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court is set to deliver one of its most anticipated decisions on Monday, determining whether former President Donald Trump is immune from prosecution. This ruling could significantly impact his upcoming trial for allegedly conspiring to overturn the 2020 election results, just ahead of his campaign as the Republican candidate for the 2024 election.
Despite expectations that the court will likely reject Trump’s claim of absolute immunity, the decision will influence whether his trial can proceed before the November election. Conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch, appointed by Trump, emphasized the gravity of the case, stating, “We are writing a rule for the ages.” Fellow Trump appointee, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, echoed this sentiment, noting the case’s profound implications for the presidency and the country’s future.
Originally, Trump’s trial was scheduled for March 4, well before the November rematch with President Joe Biden. However, the Supreme Court, dominated by conservatives including three Trump appointees, agreed to hear his immunity argument in February, delaying the case as they deliberated in April.
During the April arguments, the justices seemed skeptical of Trump’s immunity claims, questioning whether it would allow a president to “commit crimes with abandon.” Although the court is unlikely to grant complete immunity, the decision’s language and scope could further delay the trial, reducing the chances of Trump facing prosecutors before the November 5 election.
If the justices send the case back to lower courts to determine which of the special counsel’s allegations involve official acts and could be immune from prosecution, it would inevitably push the trial date further. This delay, combined with the complexities of resuming such a high-profile trial, means extensive preparation time.
Trump, facing four criminal cases, has been actively seeking to postpone the trials until after the election. On May 30, a New York court convicted him on 34 felony charges of falsifying business records to cover up a sex scandal during the 2016 campaign, marking him as the first former U.S. president convicted of a crime. His sentencing is set for July 11.
While many legal experts view the New York case as the weakest among the four, it is likely the only one to reach trial before the election. Trump’s legal team has successfully delayed the other three cases, which involve his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and the handling of top-secret documents at his Florida home.
Should Trump be re-elected, he could potentially close the federal trials against him once sworn in as president in January 2025.