'Terrible disservice': Biden denounces SCOTUS decision giving Trump partial immunity

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden excoriated the Supreme Court's decision Monday giving former President Donald Trump broad immunity from criminal prosecution, calling it a "dangerous precedent" and arguing Americans will now have to be the final arbiters of Trump's behavior.

Biden, in a special evening address from the White House Cross Hall, said the American people deserve to have an answer in the courts before the November election regarding Trump's role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol and efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

"Now, because of today's decision that is highly, highly unlikely. It's a terrible disservice to the people of this nation," Biden said, adding that Americans will "have to do what the courts should have been willing to do but were not."

"The American people will have to render a judgment about Donald Trump's behavior," he said. "The American people will have to decide whether Donald Trump's assault on our democracy on January 6 makes him unfit for public office. The American people must decide if Trump's embrace of violence to preserve his power is acceptable."

He added: "Perhaps most importantly, the American people must decide if they want to entrust the presidency once again to Donald Trump now knowing he will be even more emboldened to do whatever he pleases whenever he wants to do it."

In a 6-3 decision along ideological lines, the Supreme Court ruled that Trump is entitled to immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct that is part of "official” acts as president but not "unofficial" acts he took as a candidate.

Trump celebrated the decision, which could severely handcuff Justice Department Special Counsel Jack Smith's prosecution of Trump over his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.

Biden said the court's ruling effectively ends the long-held principles in the United States that "there are no kings in America" and that "no one is above the law."

"For all practical purposes, today's decision almost certainly means that there are virtually no limits on what a president can do. This is a fundamentally new principle and it's a dangerous precedent," Biden said.

He said the decision means the power of the presidency "will no longer be constrained by the law, even including the Supreme Court of the United States. The only limits will be self-imposed by the president alone."

Biden said he will "respect the limits of the presidential powers I've had for the three and half years, but any president, including Donald Trump, will now be free to ignore the law."

Biden concluded by saying he concurs with the dissent opinion of Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who said, "In every official power, the president is now a king above the law ... With fear for our democracy, I dissent."

"So should the American people dissent. I dissent" Biden said.

Biden delivered his remarks after returning from the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland, where he spent the weekend as his reelection campaign sought to limit the fallout of Biden's disastrous debate performance last Thursday. Biden has vowed he will stay in the race amid calls that he bow out and let a different Democrat run against Trump.

Biden did not respond to shouted questions from reporters following his remarks, including one about whether he would end his campaign.

Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden slams Supreme Court decision giving Trump partial immunity