President Joe Biden delivered a forceful rebuke from the White House against the US Supreme Court’s decision to grant his predecessor, Donald Trump, broad immunity from criminal charges related to attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Biden condemned the ruling as a “dangerous precedent” that undermines the foundational principle of equality before the law.
In his five-minute speech, Biden asserted that the 6-3 ruling “undermined the rule of law” and represented a “terrible disservice to the people of this nation.” He emphasized that this decision reduces the likelihood of Trump being held legally accountable for inciting the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.
Echoing the dissenting opinion of liberal Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Biden declared, “I dissent.” He highlighted the ruling’s implication that it now falls to voters to decide if Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, deserves another term as president.
“This nation was founded on the principle that there are no kings in America,” Biden stated. He underscored the importance of equality before the law and warned that the decision effectively removes constraints on presidential power, making it dependent solely on the president’s self-imposed limits.
Biden framed the issue as a crucial electoral question, urging voters to consider whether Trump has the character to restrain his behavior if re-elected. He subtly contrasted his own respect for presidential limits with Trump’s potential for unchecked actions.
“The American people have to do what the court should have been willing to do and will not,” he asserted. “The American people must decide whether they want to entrust the presidency to Donald Trump now knowing he’ll be more emboldened to do whatever he pleases, whenever he wants to do it.”
Biden’s speech aimed to reassert his authority amid a crisis in his candidacy, following criticism of his debate performance against Trump. He also used the occasion to attack the Supreme Court’s recent rulings, which he claimed have eroded established legal principles.
“This decision today has continued the court’s attack in recent years on a wide range of long-established legal principles in our nation – from gutting voting rights and civil rights to taking away a woman’s right to choose, to today’s decision that undermines the rule of law of this nation,” Biden said.