By a 6-3 vote, the Supreme Court upheld the president's total immunity for any and all official actions performed while in office, with the exception of any private ones. Three liberal justices—Elena Kagan, Ketanji Brown Jackson, and Sonia Sotomayor—dissented, with Sotomayor ripping into the conservative majority.
"Whenever [a president] utilizes his official powers in any manner, according to the majority's logic, he will now be protected from criminal prosecution," she said in her dissenting opinion. She made the point that this rule would protect presidents from prosecution in the following extreme cases:
Specifies the assassination of a political adversary as an order for Navy Seal Team 6. Protected from harm. In order to maintain control, plans a military coup. Protected from harm. Pardons someone after accepting a bribe? Protected from harm. Oh my goodness, it is immune.
Permit the president to break the law, take use of his position for his own benefit, and abuse his official authority for wicked purposes. He may not be as courageous and brave as we would want him to be if he were aware that he might face consequences for breaching the law in the future. According to today's majority, that is the message.
"The President is now a king above the law in every use of official power," Sotomayor remarked. Finally, she expressed her "fear for our democracy" to end her disapproval.
"Whenever [a president] utilizes his official powers in any manner, according to the majority's logic, he will now be protected from criminal prosecution," she said in her dissenting opinion. She made the point that this rule would protect presidents from prosecution in the following extreme cases:
Specifies the assassination of a political adversary as an order for Navy Seal Team 6. Protected from harm. In order to maintain control, plans a military coup. Protected from harm. Pardons someone after accepting a bribe? Protected from harm. Oh my goodness, it is immune.
Permit the president to break the law, take use of his position for his own benefit, and abuse his official authority for wicked purposes. He may not be as courageous and brave as we would want him to be if he were aware that he might face consequences for breaching the law in the future. According to today's majority, that is the message.
"The President is now a king above the law in every use of official power," Sotomayor remarked. Finally, she expressed her "fear for our democracy" to end her disapproval.
