President Joe Biden condemned the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential immunity and criticized former President Donald Trump’s involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Biden urged voters to reject Trump, labelling the court’s decision a “grave injustice” that likely prevents Trump from facing trial before the November election. “The American people must decide whether Donald Trump’s assault on our democracy on Jan. 6 makes him unfit for public office in the highest office in the land.
The American people must decide if Trump’s embrace of violence, to preserve his power, is acceptable,” Biden stated. “Perhaps most importantly, the American people must decide if they want to trust the presidency to Donald Trump.”
Delivering his remarks via teleprompter and refraining from taking questions, Biden addressed concerns about his ability to campaign and govern following a recent debate performance where he appeared to lose his train of thought.
The Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling narrowed the case against Trump concerning his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. Biden warned that the decision would “fundamentally” alter the presidency, granting presidents unprecedented authority. “Today’s decision almost certainly means that there are virtually no limits on what a president can do. It’s a dangerous precedent,” he asserted.
Biden’s direct attack on the court’s decision marks a shift from his reluctance to comment on special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Trump. This change comes after the president’s son, Hunter Biden, was convicted on gun-related charges last month, prompting the White House to avoid weighing in initially.
Trump’s lawyers have already used Biden’s remarks and media reports about the White House’s stance on Trump’s prosecution to argue for the dismissal of pending federal cases on the grounds of selective prosecution. Biden’s latest comments are expected to complicate further an impartial jury’s seating for Trump’s federal election fraud case.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Still, Biden’s statement suggests that he believes a jury trial before the election is unlikely, leaving little reason to remain silent. Biden, who had been at the Camp David presidential retreat, returned to the White House earlier than scheduled to deliver his address.
