As our own resident lawyer Aaron Walker wrote about earlier, the Supreme Court ruled in Donald Trump's presidential immunity case. Walker summed it up this way:
… it appears that the Court has said in essence a President/former President is immune from prosecution when he or she is engaged in their official duties, not when it is outside of them and, crucially, the lower courts need to analyze that question first.
As we reported, wise Latina Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in her dissent that the decision meant that the president could have SEAL Team Six execute his political rival and get away with it. That's not even an original thought — last November, when Trump's case was before a three-judge panel in D.C., Judge Florence Pan:
… posed as a hypothetical after Trump attorney D. John Sauer said a president is immune from criminal prosecution if the action in question was an "official duty," asking "can a president order SEAL Team Six to assassinate a political rival? That’s an official act, an order to SEAL Team Six."
And she's not the first to realize that Biden would possess this same immunity. Back in February, Whoopi Goldberg fantasized that Biden could "throw every Republican in jail." Brilliant political analysis from "The View."
Our own Sam Janney already did a post compiling all of the hottest takes and deepest meltdowns from progressives. Reactions were mixed … it seemed as though Trump had won the SCOTUS case, but the ruling freed up current President Joe Biden to assassinate or imprison Trump today, and some suggested he should have him assassinated. We guess the "engaged in their official duties" part went over their heads.
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One progressive of many we missed out on was serial fabulist Aaron Rupar, who broke the mold a little bit by steering away from executing Trump to imprisoning Chief Justice John Roberts:
if President Biden declared today's Supreme Court ruling to be an assault on democracy and ordered Chief Justice John Roberts imprisoned indefinitely, would that be an "official act?"
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 1, 2024
There's that pesky separation of powers thing again. No, it wouldn't be an "official act."
You people are incredibly stupid.
— Duke of Toxic Masculinity (@LeviathanLeap) July 1, 2024
No. I don't think any court would consider that to be an official act.
— Crazy Fenak (@CrazyFenaker) July 1, 2024
https://t.co/7g28Uvnsdy pic.twitter.com/FueCFknbBH
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) July 1, 2024
This unhinged super spiral happening right now in full view of the voting public is amazing news for Trump, almost as much as him being immune itself.
— Shem Horne (@Shem_Infinite) July 1, 2024
Are all Democrats stupid, inane or dropped on their heads as babies?
— Elizabeth Chadwell (@ElizChad) July 1, 2024
Presidential immunity always existed, Joe Biden just tried to take it away to get Trump and failed.
— Jessico Bowman (@JessicoBowman) July 1, 2024
No. You’re really bad at this.
— Jason Schmitz (@jsn_schmitz) July 1, 2024
No but thanks for sharing, we'll definitely screen shot this for you.
— Mild Mannered Maniac (@80sGeek) July 1, 2024
Poor Rupar.
— A Ton of the Olives (@TonOlives) July 1, 2024
You really don't have any idea what the ruling means, do you?
No, because no constitutional power exists for the Executive Branch (Biden) to lock up up a Supreme Court Justice and our Constitution guarantees due process, a right to a speedy trial, and no indefinite detention without conviction.
— Russ Latino (@RussLatino) July 1, 2024
This guy gets it.
Only if you don’t understand the Constitution and separation of powers.
— Kelly (@RebelChick66) July 1, 2024
Aaron isn’t doing well
— Nick (@Nick7822414526) July 1, 2024
What would be the source of his power to do that? A president doesn’t have plenary power. It has to legitimately source from somewhere (e.g., the Constitution). Otherwise, it’s not an official act.
— AnarChic (@tweetnessXtreme) July 1, 2024
Please point out which constitutional power allows the President to imprison the Chief Justice on fake charges.
— cinyc (@cinyc9) July 1, 2024
Well, this is probably the stupedest question this decade.
— Politischer Gefangener (@JohnRobinsonTX) July 1, 2024
It occurs to us that we haven't checked in on Vox and its Supreme Court reporter, Ian Millhiser. We're certain he'll explain to Rupar et al.
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