Leftists Outraged After Supreme Court Takes Up Trump Immunity Case
After the U.S. Supreme Court announced on Wednesday that it would hear former president and current GOP primary frontrunner Donald Trump’s case regarding presidential immunity, many leftist lawmakers and members of the media immediately began melting down on social media.
The Supreme Court declared on Wednesday that it would take up the presidential immunity case, noting that it had agreed to consider “whether and if so to what extent does a former president enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office.”
Despite Special Counsel Jack Smith’s plea that the high court decide the case immediately because the issue was of “unique national importance,” the case may push back his planned criminal trial of Trump until after the November election — as the Supreme Court has scheduled the case to be heard starting on Apr. 22.
Trump and his allies have argued that it is clear that a president has immunity from prosecution for actions taken while in office — explaining that the proper procedure to prosecute a president involves first impeaching him in the House of Representatives for the conduct, then convicting him in the Senate, then ultimately prosecuting him in the courts. Proponents of this argument note that without this process, presidents could face criminal prosecution for doing their duty in a way that the opposing side disagrees with by any court with a bias against them.
If the Supreme Court rules in favor of Trump’s argument about presidential immunity, the case against him from Smith will be dropped.
Meanwhile, the left is up in arms about the Supreme Court even daring to listen to Trump’s arguments, with many putting forth bizarre claims that the high court is part of a grand conspiracy to help Trump.
One of the loudest and most unhinged voices on the left responding to this news was MSNBC host Chris Hayes, who declared the decision to be “a clear, unmistakable sign from the MAGA majority of the Trump-created court that they are with him. That they are going to use their power to make sure that he does not face trial in an election year for attempting to end American democracy.”
This is pretty astonishing. Jack Smith waited to charge so that it would impact the election and Chris Hayes and the other bad faith partisans cheered it on.
SCOTUS agrees to hear the appeal — obviously — and they’re up in arms about timing.
Spare us. https://t.co/n9jkoLTIPv
— Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) February 29, 2024
Another unhinged response came from Slate writer Mark Joseph Smith, who declared that the idea of the Supreme Court taking up one of the most important cases in modern history is “terrifying.”
“What the Supreme Court did today is just plain terrifying,” Smith wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “The justices are actively abetting Trump’s efforts to run out the clock and evade trial for Jan. 6. In a choice between independence and cynical partisan loyalty, a majority picked the latter.”
What the Supreme Court did today is just plain terrifying. The justices are actively abetting Trump's efforts to run out the clock and evade trial for Jan. 6. In a choice between independence and cynical partisan loyalty, a majority picked the latter. https://t.co/bqNawIz5Zm
— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) February 28, 2024
Disgraced Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) also commented on the move.
“Trump’s goal is to deny justice by delaying justice,” he wrote. “Sadly, the Justices seem ok with that result. There was no reason for them to hear this case. A president is not immune from prosecution when he violates the law to stay in power. Not in a democracy.”
Trump’s goal is to deny justice by delaying justice. Sadly, the Justices seem ok with that result.
There was no reason for them to hear this case.
A president is not immune from prosecution when he violates the law to stay in power. Not in a democracy. pic.twitter.com/5IBVO9VKii
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) February 29, 2024
Columnist David Rothkopf claimed that the Supreme Court deciding to hear Trump’s case was “corrupt.”
“Let’s not beat around the bush, decision by the Supreme Court to hear the Trump immunity case is outrageous and, at its heart, fundamentally corrupt,” Rothkopf wrote. “The decision not to hear it until late April makes further significant trial delays likely. They are deliberately delaying the trial without any reasonable legal reason to do so. This is a political decision and, in my estimation, an ugly one.”
Let's not beat around the bush, decision by the Supreme Court to hear the Trump immunity case is outrageous and, at its heart, fundamentally corrupt. The Appeals Court decision was bullet proof and there is no case Trump has any sort of immunity. The decision not to hear it until…
— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) February 28, 2024