The News
The US Supreme Court ruled Donald Trump is shielded from prosecution for official actions taken while president. It’s a major setback for the Justice Department’s case against Trump for his alleged role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, but it also has broad implications for the office of the presidency going forward. The Court’s conservative majority found presidents can still be prosecuted for unofficial acts, but the distinction between official and unofficial is unclear. A lower court will now have to make that determination, deciding, for example, if Trump pressuring former Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the 2020 election results was an official act or not. Ultimately, much presidential conduct is now “beyond the reach of accountability,” a legal expert told Semafor.