After attending the first week of his criminal case in Manhattan for allegedly falsifying business documents to cover up payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 election, former President Donald wrote about the election interference charges he faces in his upcoming Supreme Court hearing on presidential immunity.
Note: Trump believes the criminal charges regarding his alleged attempt to overturn the 2020 election results should be dismissed based on “a broad claim of presidential immunity” — and he makes the argument that without immunity “a President will not be able to properly function, or make decisions, in the best interest of the United States of America.”
Special Counsel Jack Smith is urging the Supreme Court to reject Trump’s “absolute” presidential immunity claim, arguing that criminal law applies to the president.
My initial reaction is that this is dumb because Joe Biden doesn’t need presidential immunity, he hasn’t committed any crimes. But more properly read, this is a threat. Trump is saying he will come after Biden if he’s elected. He’ll be a dictator in more than just day one. pic.twitter.com/QpJKryhSwn
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) April 20, 2024
Trump wrote this weekend: “If they take away my presidential immunity, they take away crooked Joe Biden’s presidential immunity.”
Former U.S. Attorney Joyce Vance responded to the post: “My initial reaction is that this is dumb because Joe Biden doesn’t need presidential immunity, he hasn’t committed any crimes. But more properly read, this is a threat. Trump is saying he will come after Biden if he’s elected. He’ll be a dictator in more than just day one.”
Vance refers to Trump’s assertion in a town hall style interview earlier in his campaign, when moderator Sean Hannity said to Trump: “You would never abuse power as retribution against anybody?” and Trump replied: “Except for day one.”
Trump went on to say he’d want dictatorial powers to “close the border” and “drill, drill, drill,” which Hannity said didn’t answer his question about “about retribution.”
Trump has at various points in his campaign vowed retribution. In Iowa in January he had said it enough that he felt the need to disavow it, telling a crowd it wasn’t a priority: “We’re going to make the country so successful again, I’m not going to have time for retribution,” Trump said.
But since then, as criminal and civil cases against him have moved forward, Trump has again put the retribution rhetoric to work on his campaign.
Without saying he would directly pursue retribution, Trump told the audience at CPAC in March that he was a vehicle for their retribution. “I am your warrior. I am your justice,” he said. “And for those who have been wronged and betrayed: I am your retribution.”
The Supreme Court will hear arguments this week on Trump’s presidential immunity.