The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on July 1 that former President Donald Trump has a degree of immunity from criminal prosecution in federal cases suspected of "meddling in the 2020 election" and directed lower courts to reconsider the case and determine what acts are "acts of public office" that cannot be prosecuted.
What is the presidential immunity in the United States? Is Trump responsible for the "Capitol Hill riot"? What does the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in partial favor of Trump's immunity claim mean for Trump? Let's listen to Lu Jiefeng, associate professor of the Law School of the University of International Business and Economics.
Lu Jiefeng, associate professor at the Law School of the University of International Business and Economics: We should see this ruling of the US Supreme Court, which involves the interpretation of relevant provisions of the US Constitution and such a definition of the president's powers. It is not only of great significance to the Trump case itself, but also has a far-reaching impact on the constitutional boundaries and judicial practice of future US presidents.
The verdict means Trump can safely run for president
Lu Jiefeng, Associate Professor, School of Law, University of International Business and Economics: First of all, presidential immunity refers to a special privilege enjoyed by the president during his tenure as head of state, which exempts him from criminal and civil proceedings against his actions. In fact, the U.S. Constitution itself does not provide for presidential immunity in great detail, but has been addressed in some previous decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court. For example, in the Nixon and Clinton cases, the President of the United States was ruled to have specific immunity. However, in previous precedents, the U.S. Supreme Court did not specify what should be exempted and what should not be exempted. In this case, then, for the first time, the U.S. Supreme Court made it clear that if the president exercises core constitutional powers, then he should enjoy absolute immunity. Second, he enjoys presumed immunity from official acts other than the exercise of core constitutional powers. Finally, there is no immunity at all for the president's unofficial acts.
Lu Jiefeng, Associate Professor, School of Law, University of International Business and Economics: Of course, the US Supreme Court did not give an answer to the question of which acts were official and which were unofficial, but only remanded the case back to the lower court, which will evaluate and determine it according to the specific facts of the case. What does such a ruling mean for Trump? It means that Trump can safely run for president without fear of being disqualified for his involvement in various cases until at least November 2024, before voting in the U.S. presidential election.
If elected, Trump has the possibility of pardoning himself
Lu Jiefeng, associate professor at the School of Law, University of International Business and Economics: Now is the critical period of the 2024 US presidential election, based on his earlier performance, Trump should say that there are more points, so the situation is better for Trump. If Trump is elected, he could also instruct the Justice Department to drop the case as president, thereby removing once and for all the effects of the previous cases that Trump has been involved in, including the Capitol Hill riot, that have plagued him once and for all.
Editor: Liang Zeming
Source: CCTV news client