(Elias Irizarry, Headline USA) CAPITOL HILL–On the morning of Monday, July 1, crowds gathered outside the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., in preparation for the announcement of the court’s decision in Trump v. United States.
Scenes from the #SupremeCourt today as the decision on presidential immunity dropped, taken by our very own @eliasforsc
Full coverage:https://t.co/LRjVqcnuDi pic.twitter.com/umLKGIHWyz— Headline USA (@HeadlineUSA) July 1, 2024
Left-wing activists lined the barricades of the building holding picket signs, one of which featured former President Donald Trump bearing a crown under a quotation from D.C. District Judge Tanya Chutkan—who is currently presiding over Trump’s federal Jan. 6 case—stating, “We elect Presidents, not Kings.”
Alongside the picket signs, a flag waved before the court calling Trump a “loser,” and another declaring, “NO TRUMP. NO KKK. NO FASCIST USA.”
While some looked ahead to the court’s opinion on presidential immunity, others celebrated longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon’s incarceration. Bannon reported to a Connecticut prison facility that day to begin his expected four-month sentence, after losing his bid to assert executive privilege in House Democrats’ Jan. 6 tribunal.
“Bannon lives in my neighborhood. It already smells better,” one man sneered. “I wrote him a letter telling him to enjoy prison.”
One of the protesters, Bill Christeson, even brought a cake decorated with “Happy Bannon Goes to Prison Day!” alongside a sign sharing the same message.
DIMMING OUTLOOK FOR DEMS
The jubilant mood would not last long, however, as the court’s decision supporting full immunity for official acts (and partial immunity in many other circumstances) all but assured that special counsel Jack Smith would be denied the opportunity to prosecute Trump ahead of the Nov. 5 election.
The decision also forced Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan to delay the sentencing on Trump’s existing conviction in George Soros-backed District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case over the falsification of business records during the 2016 election.
Trump’s cases in Fulton County, Ga., and Fort Pierce, Fla., have likewise met with delays that will push them past Election Day—and may potentially end them altogether if the presumptive GOP presidential nominee once again prevails.
Yet, even the Left’s superficial successes, such as the guilty verdict in a trial that ensured all odds were stacked against the defendant, have often missed their intended mark.
Trump’s campaign hasn’t lost its momentum, winning polls in nearly every battleground state, and public disapproval of the prosecution of Trump has helped him dramatically expand his support among black, Hispanic, and younger demographics.
Trump’s conviction also helped him to pull in a staggering $141 million in May, closing the fundraising advantage from which President Joe Biden had previously benefited.
Meanwhile, Monday’s court victory, in the wake of Biden’s disastrous debate performance last week, has left Democrats in a complete state of shock and disarray—a rarity for the party that has spent years embracing a sort of toxic denialism regarding Biden’s fitness for office.
Some Biden supporters—and even elected lawmakers—reacted to the decision by suggesting that the current president might use his newfound immunity to kill off his rivals, despite the fact that the ruling carved out a clear exception for acts in which the president was not acting in an official capacity.
CATCHING THE ‘W’
Amid the cacophony of anti-Trump protesters, one student stood in the shadows, entertained by the spectacle—although he did not share the same perspective as the majority of those gathered in front of the high court.
“I think they’re gonna rule favorable to Trump—and when this ruling comes down, there’s gonna be a huge uproar,” commented Michael, a 19-year-old Asian-American student from Georgia.
“I’m pretty excited,” he added. “It’ll make it a lot easier for Trump to return to office. There’s not gonna be constant lawfare when he’s in office.”
A group of sharply dressed congressional interns stood on the side, awaiting the decision. When the court finally released the decision, they celebrated—indicating they had placed bets on whether the court would rule in Trump’s favor.
“I’m pretty happy with the decision,” said one intern, who wished to remain anonymous.
“I think it’s a big win, but we’ll have to see how the lower courts handle it,” Michael said. But for now, I say it’s a big W.”
As word of the ruling began to spread, those opposed to Trump in the crowd initially seemed confused over whether it was a win or loss.
“I think it’s in the middle, but it’s going to slow down the process, which is what bothers me,” argued Max, another 19-year-old student who came from neighboring Arlington to witness the scene.
The case will now be remanded to Chutkan, who must determine whether Trump was acting in an official capacity in his efforts to investigate allegations of vote fraud, and to pressure individuals like Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to do the same.
But the window for Democrats to wage their judicial campaigns is quickly closing, and increasingly tempered by the awareness that any precedents they establish now could soon come back to haunt them.
Headline USA’s Ben Sellers contributed to this report.
