Joe Biden slammed the US Supreme Court for its ruling on Donald Trump’s immunity from criminal prosecution during an address to the nation from the White House on Monday evening.
“For all practical purposes, today’s decision almost certainly means that there are virtually no limits on what a president can do,” the Democrat said.
“This is a fundamentally new principle. And it’s a dangerous precedent.”
Earlier, the court ruled that Trump has protection from prosecution for official acts conducted during his time as president – but not “unofficial” acts.
The ruling could have a huge impact on cases connected to his attempts to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election and profound consequences for any future attempts to hold American presidents to account over crimes committed from the Oval Office.
The 6-3 majority decision was opposed by all three liberal justices on the bench, with Sonia Sotomayor warning in her dissent: “The president is now a king above the law.”
Meanwhile, Biden is still struggling to instil calm within his party following his disastrous debate performance last week, with Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer reportedly warning he cannot win her swing state in November as things stand.