Things are going well for him: Donald Trump has nothing to fear legally until the election in November.
Photo: AFP
Even before the Supreme Court issued its ruling on Monday, it was clear that Donald Trump had achieved his goal. For him, what was more important than the nine-justice ruling was that it came too late. First and foremost, Trump wanted to buy time. He was probably happier with the judges’ ruling, which threw out a lower court ruling that had denied the former president immunity from criminal prosecution. The Supreme Court ruled that a president cannot be prosecuted for his official actions. But he does not enjoy immunity if he acts as a private individual, or as a candidate or party leader. Where the line lies must be determined on a case-by-case basis..
As a president or as an ordinary citizen?
Last August, special counsel Jack Smith had already indicted the former president for his role on January 6, 2021. At that time, Trump incited a mob to storm the Capitol to prevent the certification of his election defeat. He has floated all sorts of conspiracy theories about why the election was stolen, despite no evidence to support them. Did he do it as president? Did he do it as a candidate? Or as a private individual? It’s crucial for Trump: It will take him some time to decide these questions.
After two lower courts rejected the blanket immunity argument, the case reached the Supreme Court on February 12, and the court took a long time, about 20 weeks. Six of the nine justices are conservatives, and three of them were appointed by Trump. So it seems ironic that the court waited until the last day of its session to issue a ruling. Because it’s clear: There won’t be enough time to remove Trump before the November election.
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– The sarcastic line in the Trump case
The former president wins a partial victory before the Supreme Court. What is most important for the Republican candidate is that the ruling came too late.