Former President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign praised a landmark Supreme Court decision Monday that could give 2024 presidential candidates greater protection from criminal prosecution.
The Supreme Court ruled in Trump v. United States that former presidents have effective immunity from prosecution for official acts performed while in office, but not for private acts.
In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court did not apply its ruling to whether former President Trump is immune from prosecution for conduct related to attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, and sent the issue back to a lower court.
“I think the Supreme Court made the right decision,” Trump 2024 senior adviser Alina Habba said during an appearance on “America’s Newsroom.”
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Former President Donald J. Trump praised the Supreme Court’s ruling in Washington, D.C., regarding his immunity claim. (Donald Trump: Photo by Peter Zey/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images | Supreme Court: Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“Nixon V. Fitzgerald outlined this. Absolute immunity is important for every president. I’ve said it over and over again. I’ve argued for President Trump’s immunity, and I think they recognized that absolute immunity exists,” she continued.
Haba said it was a “good day” that the Supreme Court had upheld the constitutional rights of the president and the executive branch, but stressed that Trump should never have been in a position that led to such a decision.
“This is a disgrace to America,” she said.
Haba also speculated that the decision would slow down Jack Smith’s “persecution and selective prosecution” of the former president.
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A photo of the Supreme Court in Washington, Feb. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacqueline Martin, File)
“I don’t see this case going forward before the election,” Habba added.
“The President does not enjoy immunity from non-official conduct, and not all of the President’s acts are official,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion.
“The president is not above the law, but Congress cannot criminalize the president’s actions in carrying out executive responsibilities under the Constitution. And the system of separation of powers designed by the Framers of the Constitution has always required a vigorous and independent executive branch,” he said.
“Accordingly, the President cannot be prosecuted for the exercise of core Constitutional powers and is entitled to, at a minimum, a presumption of immunity from prosecution for all official conduct. This immunity applies equally to all Oval Office staff, regardless of politics, policy or party affiliation,” he continued.
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“I’ve been harassed for years by the Democrats, Joe Biden, Obama and their thugs, fascists and communists, and now the courts have made a decision,” former President Trump said in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital.
“This is a huge victory for our Constitution and our democracy. Now I can campaign freely like anyone else. We are leading by a large margin in every poll, and we will Make America Great Again,” he said.
Fox News’ Brooke Singman and Brianna Herlihy contributed to this report.
