D John Sauer, Trump’s lawyer, pressed an extreme version of the former prez’s argument. In answer to hypothetical questions, he said that presidential orders to murder political rivals or stage a coup could well be subject to immunity.
But several of the conservative justices seemed disinclined to consider those questions or the details of the accusations against Trump. Instead, they said the court should issue a ruling that applies to presidential power generally. “We’re writing a rule for the ages,” Justice Neil Gorsuch said. Justice Brett Kavanaugh also said the court should think about the huge implications “for the presidency, for the future of the presidency, for the future of the country.”
Justice Samuel Alito Jr said that a ruling for Trump could enhance democratic values. “A stable, democratic society requires that a candidate who loses an election, even a close one, even a hotly contested one, leave office peacefully,” he said, adding that the prospect of criminal prosecution would make that less likely. Justice Sonia Sotomayor said she had a different understanding. “A stable democratic society,” she said, “needs the good faith of its public officials.”
The SC’s ruling on whether Trump is absolutely immune from prosecution will be a major statement on the scope of presidential power. Depending on its timing and content, the decision will also help determine whether Trump’s trial will start before the election, in time to let both jurors and voters evaluate the evidence that Jack Smith, the special counsel in the case, seeks to present.
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