What Are the Possible Charges Against Trump?
The issues presented before the Supreme Court relate to Trump’s possible election interference during the 2020 election and the run-up to the violent riot by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
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The federal indictments include conspiracy charges to defraud the US government and to obstruct an official proceeding. It is alleged that Trump repeatedly told his supporters and others that he truly won the election and that the White House would need to be taken by force.
Trump Pleaded Not Guilty to the Charges
After Special Counsel Jack Smith brought the felony charges against Trump, he pleaded not guilty to any wrongdoing.
Source: @leslibless/X
Along with the not-guilty plea, Trump asserts that some of the actions taken as president deserve to be treated with impunity.
The Accusations
Some of the accusations of obstructing include spreading false claims of election fraud, plotting to recruit false slates of electors, pressuring US Justice Department officials into opening sham investigations into electoral fraud, and pressing Mike Pence, his vice-president, into obstructing the Congressional certification of Joe Biden’s win.
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Many critics say that if Trump is allowed to walk away from such claims without proper prosecution, presidents in the future might get away with worse actions due to the precedent.
Supreme Court Rules Trump has 'Absolute Immunity'
After convening at 10 a.m. on Monday morning, the Supreme Court issued its final verdict on the immunity case for Trump.
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The high court tules that former presidents are entitled to some degree of immunity from criminal prosecution. The 6-3 conservative majority has three justices who were inducted by Trump, and the panel usually sides with his ideologies.
Big Win for Trump's Presidential Campaign
The official ruling has decided that presidents can act with impunity during official acts. However, actions taken during his office’s “outer perimeter” could still face charges for unofficial conduct.
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Nevertheless, the ruling is a massive win for Trump’s reelection campaign. The legal proceedings stand in the way of his electoral campaign and focusing his efforts and finances on his bigger goal of overtaking Joe Biden.
Trump Argues His Case on Social Media
Trump took to his social media platform to argue that the Supreme Court should “end all of Crooked Joe Biden’s Witch Hunts against me.”
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Previously, Trump has been found guilty of 34 counts of felony fraud after falsifying business records related to the Stormy Daniels hush money case. As well he was also fined millions for E. Jean Caroll’s defamation case.
Republicans React to the Ruling
Several GOP members took to the press to congratulate Donald Trump on the victory.
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Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said that the decision was “another defeat for President Biden’s weaponized Department of Justice and Jack Smith.”
House Dems Have Hard Words for the Decision
Chuck Schumer, Senate Majority Leader, said in a series of statements made on X that the ruling was a “disgraceful decision by the MAGA SCOTUS,” a reference to the often speculated bias that the Supreme Court has towards the former Republican president.
Source: @SenSchumer/X
Several other Democrats criticized the decision, saying that no one, including the president, should be above the law.
The Presidential Election Will Continue to Heat Up
After the contentious presidential debate on Thursday night and the ruling this morning, the presidential election will officially heat up. Now that Trump will not be disqualified due to his ongoing trials, the Biden campaign will likely start to go negative.
Source: @JoeBiden, X
The Biden reelection campaign has already organized a group of surrogates on a press tour to blast the decision to make a former president immune from federal protection. The team includes a Capitol police officer Harry Dunn, New York Rep, Dan Goldman and Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett who has criticized Trump for his freedom to act as a “dictator.”
Both Sides Throwing Accusations
While the Trump camp continues to suggest that President Biden is using the Department of Justice to harangue Trump with illicit tactics, the Biden team is accusing the other side of the same thing.
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It’s widely known that the Supreme Court justices have taken bribes from wealthy Republican donors in the past. Now, the Biden team will be pushing even harder to prove that Trump has weaponized the justice system to get away with felonies.
Trump Is Currently Leading the Polls
Although the 2020 election saw historic voter turnout and support for the Democratic party, Donald Trump is currently leading by 45% in the polls.
Source: The White House/Wikipedia
However, the tight race still has a long way to go. And if this week’s landmark decision has any meaning, it should show voters that there are more surprises coming before they hit the polls in November.