President Joe Biden delivered a scathing rebuke of the Supreme Court on Monday, condemning their ruling granting presidents absolute immunity from prosecution for official acts. In a somber address from the White House, Biden warned of dire consequences should former President Donald Trump secure a second term.
“There are no kings in America. Each of us is equal before the law,” Biden said in a speech from the White House. “No one is above the law, not even the president of the United States,” he declared, his voice tinged with urgency.
With evident dismay, Biden characterized the Court’s decision as a seismic shift in the balance of power.
“(With) today’s Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity, that fundamentally changed. For all practical purposes, there are virtually no limits on what the president can do. It’s a fundamentally new principle and it’s a dangerous precedent because the power of the office will no longer be constrained by the law even including the supreme court of the United States.”
Throughout his address, Biden underscored the gravity of the moment, emphasizing that the only barrier to the president’s authority now lies in the personal restraint of the officeholder. He warned vehemently against the prospect of Trump returning to power, painting a stark picture of the dangers such an outcome could pose.
Biden’s remarks come amid escalating tensions over the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary, with critics arguing that the Court’s decision could spell the end of the rule of law, paving the way for unchecked executive authority, an ultimately, tyranny.
