The Supreme Court will rule on Republican former President Donald Trump’s claim of immunity from prosecution for attempting to overturn his 2020 election loss on Monday, the final day of its current term. U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts announced that the term, which began in October, will conclude on July 1. “At that time, we will announce all remaining opinions ready during this term of the court,” Roberts stated from the bench on Friday.
The justices have yet to rule on four cases argued during the term, including Trump’s appeal. Lower courts had rejected Trump’s request for immunity from four election-related criminal charges, arguing that he was serving as president when he took the actions leading to the indictment by Special Counsel Jack Smith.
Other pending cases involve Republican-backed laws in Florida and Texas aimed at limiting the power of social media companies to censor content they find objectionable, and a North Dakota convenience store’s challenge to a government regulation on debit card “swipe fees.” This case could potentially make it easier for businesses to challenge longstanding federal rules.
During April arguments in the Trump case, the court’s conservative justices indicated support for granting former U.S. presidents some level of protection from criminal charges for certain actions taken in office. However, they seemed unlikely to endorse Trump’s bid for “absolute immunity.” The Supreme Court’s ruling might narrow the special counsel’s allegations against Trump, but parts of the indictment may remain. The decision could also delay Trump’s trial, previously scheduled for March.
In a 6-3 decision, the justices overturned a 1984 precedent that had granted government agencies broad leeway in interpreting laws they administer. On Friday, the court’s 6-3 conservative majority dealt a significant blow to federal regulatory power by overturning this precedent, thus handing a defeat to President Joe Biden’s administration.
