US Supreme Court Immunity Ruling
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Questions and Answers

What is the primary concern of the author regarding the US Supreme Court's ruling on presidential immunity?

  • The ruling is a personal vendetta against Donald Trump.
  • The ruling has significant implications for the 2024 election and democratic institutions. (correct)
  • The ruling undermines the principle of checks and balances in the US government.
  • The ruling has no constitutional basis and is a judicial overreach.

    • Who is the US special counsel that brought the case against Donald Trump?

  • Elena Kagan
  • John Roberts
  • Jack Smith (correct)
  • Sonia Sotomayor

    • What is the significance of the year 1789 in the context of the US Supreme Court?

  • It is the year the first presidential election was held.
  • It is the year the US Supreme Court was first founded. (correct)
  • It is the year the Supreme Court gained its current powers.
  • It is the year the US Constitution was ratified.

    • What is the name of the justice who wrote that the ruling makes a 'mockery of the Constitution'?

    <p>Sonia Sotomayor</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How many justices were appointed by Donald Trump?

    <p>Three</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the outcome of the Supreme Court's decision regarding Roe v Wade?

    <p>The court overturned Roe v Wade.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the name of the justice who leads the nine-member Supreme Court?

    <p>John Roberts</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the reaction of many legal commentators when the Supreme Court announced it would hear arguments on presidential immunity?

    <p>They were surprised and thought the court of appeals had made a sufficient ruling.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the concern regarding the Supreme Court's handling of the presidential immunity case?

    <p>That the court was intentionally delaying the case to benefit Trump's re-election campaign.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the implication of the Supreme Court's ruling on presidential immunity?

    <p>That the boundaries of official and unofficial actions are open to interpretation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the concern regarding the potential consequences of the Supreme Court's ruling?

    <p>That it will embolden future presidents to engage in criminality.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What could Trump do if he wins the election in November, according to the Supreme Court's ruling?

    <p>He can both order the justice department to drop the charges and pardon himself.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did dissenting Supreme Court justice Brown say about the ruling?

    <p>That it was a 'five-alarm fire that threatens to consume democratic self-governance'.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the significance of the Watergate scandal in relation to the Supreme Court's ruling?

    <p>It proved that Richard Nixon could have been defended as part of an official act.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was Trump's reaction to the Supreme Court's ruling?

    <p>He was triumphant and claimed it was a big win for democracy.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    US Supreme Court Immunity Ruling

    • The US Supreme Court has made a controversial judgment on presidential immunity, which could affect the 2024 election and democratic institutions.
    • The ruling states that former presidents are entitled to some degree of immunity from criminal prosecution.

    The Case

    • The case was brought by US special counsel Jack Smith, alleging that Donald Trump attempted to subvert US democracy by interfering in the 2020 election.
    • The ruling fell along ideological lines, 6-3, with Justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Ketanji Brown strongly dissenting.

    Impact on Democracy

    • The ruling could embolden future presidents to use the office for personal gain and engage in criminality.
    • It could also allow Trump to order the Justice Department to drop charges or try to pardon himself if he wins the election in November.
    • There are concerns that Trump could appoint a loyalist attorney general and weaponize the justice system against his opponents.

    Criticisms

    • Justice Sotomayor wrote that the ruling makes a "mockery of the Constitution".
    • Justice Brown wrote that this is a "five-alarm fire that threatens to consume democratic self-governance".
    • President Joe Biden stated that the Supreme Court judgment is incredibly consequential for US democracy.

    Background

    • The Supreme Court had previously been seen as an impartial guardrail to protect American citizens from autocratic power grabs.
    • However, since Trump reshaped the court with the appointment of three ideologically conservative justices, several long-time iron-clad supreme court decisions have been upended.

    Trump's Appointments

    • Trump appointed Neil Gorsuch in 2017, Brett Kavanaugh in 2018, and Amy Coney Barrett in October 2020.
    • These appointments have led to a shift in the court's decisions, including the overturning of Roe v Wade.

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    The US Supreme Court has made a significant and controversial judgment on presidential immunity, which could impact the 2024 election and democratic institutions.

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