The Recount

“The President is not above the law. But ...” In a 6-3 ruling along ideological lines Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court partially sided with Donald Trump and ruled that presidents have immunity from criminal prosecution when it comes to official acts — but not unofficial acts. But the court declined to decide what specifically constitutes an official act versus a personal one when it came to January 6th — a core question of the case — instead punting the question to a lower court. Trump had argued that his actions in the leadup to and during January 6th were official acts immune from prosecution in special counsel Jack Smith’s criminal probe. While the court did not give Trump a full win, its decision is the final blow in Smith’s push for the trial to happen before Election Day. Proceedings and appeals over which of Trump’s actions were official or personal would likely take months — all before pretrial proceedings, which would last about three months, can even begin. If Trump wins the election, he’s promised to order his Justice Department to drop the prosecution.