For former President Donald Trump, the Supreme Court decision was a huge triumph: it is a victory for the Constitution of the US and democracy, he exclaimed on his social network Truth Social. Even before that, he expressed in a podcast his joy that the decision will have a bigger impact on his competitor – Democrat Joe Biden than for him, writes ARD.
"Dangerous precedent"
President Biden criticized the Supreme Court decision, which was seen as a victory for his rival. He called it a dangerous precedent that does a disservice to the American people, Reuters and AFP reported.
With its conservative majority, the Supreme Court ruled that US presidents are immune from prosecution in their official acts, but not in their unofficial ones. From now on, a lower court will decide whether Trump's attempts to influence the US election are an official or unofficial act. In that regard, it seems increasingly unlikely that Trump will face trial before the Nov. 5 election.
Trump supporters such as Republican Sen. James David Vance also welcomed the ruling. It could shatter special prosecutor Jack Smith's charges against Trump, Vance wrote on the H platform. Smith is investigating Trump for his attempts to manipulate the election and for his role in the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, ARD recalls.< /p>
Sharp criticism from Democrats
Democrats reacted with outrage. The Senate Majority Leader – Chuck Schumer called the court's decision "shameful" because it allows the former president to weaken democracy by breaking the law.
Nancy Pelosi, the former speaker of the House of Representatives, wrote in a statement that the Supreme Court's decision deviates from the standards and violates one of the basic American principles, namely – that no one is above the law. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed the opinion that in November the American people will demand an account of Trump.
"This is absurd and dangerous"
Former police officer Harris Dunn, who was on duty when the Capitol stormed on January 6, 2021, says he can't believe how the judges gave Trump partial immunity. “He continues to be the greatest threat to democracy,” Dunn told the media. Dunn, who is now running for the Democratic nomination in the state of Maryland, is convinced that Trump once incited his supporters to attack the Capitol. In his capacity as an eyewitness, Dunn points out that the people who then attacked him were acting on Trump's behalf and at his direction. Another former officer of the police guarding the Capitol, Aquilino Gonell, commented: “The Supreme Court violated the principles of democracy. This is absurd and dangerous“.
Lawyers are not surprised by the decision of the Supreme Court, ARD points out. Former US Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez told CNBC that a president should be able to make the most difficult decisions. And while acting in an official capacity, he must be protected from prosecution.
According to the historian Leah Wright, for more than 50 years it can be observed that the powers of the American president are expanding more and more. The fact that the justices left the interpretation of this case to a lower court shows, however, that some members of the Supreme Court value neutrality and objectivity.
If Trump wins, he can pardon himself
Until the next court rules on exactly how the decision should be applied to Trump, it could be months, notes the German public legal media. In this situation, the start of the trial against Trump will most likely be postponed until after the presidential election in November. And it is likely that there will be no condemnation of Trump, since if he wins, he can pardon himself, predicts ARD.
Author: Claudia Sare ARD