Democrats used a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday to rail against a Supreme Court decision that gave criminal immunity to presidents for official acts, which wiped out part of the allegations in the Washington case against Donald Trump related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
The 6-3 decision, written by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., virtually guaranteed no trial would take place while Trump is the Republican nominee in the 2024 presidential election. But Democrats on Tuesday devoted their attention to the long-term impacts of the ruling, saying the opinion creates a dangerous opportunity for abuses of power, such as wielding the power of the Justice Department as part of the executive branch.
Senate Judiciary Chair Richard J. Durbin said the ruling was a “game-changing act of judicial fiat” that puts all future presidents above the law and will only increase the chances of future conflict between the political branches. The Illinois Democrat said Congress will have to wield its appropriations, oversight and legislative power if faced with a corrupt presidency.
