Actions taken by former President Donald Trump in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 debacle may not be protected by SCOTUS’ recent presidential immunity ruling if Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer gets his way.
In an announcement on the Senate floor Monday, Schumer (D-N.Y.) said he’s working with fellow Dems on a bill to classify Trump’s “election subversion” as “unofficial acts,” thereby leaving the former president vulnerable to criminal prosecution.
SCOTUS “incorrectly declared that former President Trump enjoys broad immunity from criminal prosecution for actions he took while in office,” Schumer said.
“They incorrectly declared that all future presidents are entitled to a breathtaking level of immunity so long as their conduct is ostensibly carried out in their official capacity as president.”
“I will work with my colleagues on legislation classifying Trump’s election subversion acts as unofficial acts not subject to immunity,” Schumer said. “We’re doing this because we believe that in America no president should be free to overturn an election against the will of the people, no matter what the conservative justices may believe.”
The New York Senator, recently blasted on social media for putting cheese on a raw hamburger patty, went on to say Justices had “effectively placed a crown on Donald Trump’s head,” and had made him above the law and “in many ways untouchable.”
“I will work with my colleagues on legislation classifying Trump’s election subversion acts as unofficial acts not subject to immunity,” Schumer proceeded. “We’re doing this because we believe that in America no president should be free to overturn an election against the will of the people, no matter what the conservative justices may believe.”
According to legal scholar Jonathan Turley, Schumer’s argument doesn’t pass the smell test.
Democrats are pushing legislation to reverse the presidential immunity decision. https://t.co/7nFWtFUqon The move is more politically than legally compelling. The decision is based on constitutional law and simply declaring whole areas “unofficial” will not negate the ruling.
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) July 8, 2024
Schumer’s renewed commitment to going after the former president illustrates how the left is confident they can wield the courts and the corrupt justice system to hinder their political opponent and possibly sentence him to multiple years in prison, a desperate last-ditch effort to hamper Trump’s re-election bid.
