Biden urges public to check Trump if Supreme Court fails to do it

In an intensely political address at the White House, President Joe Biden expressed his stern disagreement with the Supreme Court ruling that delivers broad presidential immunity, denounced Donald Trump over the Jan. 6 unruly incident, and beckoned voters to veto him.

In his inaugural commentary from the White House post his stuttering debate with Trump the earlier week, Biden labeled the Supreme Court verdict as a "horrific injustice" to the nation. He further added that the ruling would make it highly improbable for the prior president to face trial for his involvement in the discord prior to the November election.

“The citizens of America must determine whether Donald Trump’s attack on our democracy on Jan. 6 renders him ineligible for the supreme public office. They must judge Trump’s endorsement of violence, in order to maintain his authority, as acceptable or not,” he pronounced. "Above all, American citizens need to make a choice if they wish to entrust the ... presidency to Donald Trump."

Biden addressed the gathering while reading from a teleprompter and didn't entertain questions from the press, marking his performance among doubts over his aptitude to campaign and occupy office following a debate where he seemed to lose focus and struggled to counter Trump.

The Supreme Court had delivered a 6-3 verdict, curtailing the case against Trump for his alleged attempts to override the 2020 election and retain power.

Biden opined that the court’s verdict would lead to a "fundamental" alteration of presidential dynamics, providing presidents with never-before-seen authority.

"Today’s ruling essentially implies that there are almost no constraints on presidential actions. It sets a dangerous benchmark," he stated.

Biden's withering criticism of the Supreme Court ruling marks a shift from his prior disinclination to react to the progress in special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation.

Just the previous month, subsequent to the conviction of the president’s son Hunter on firearm-related charges in a federal court in Delaware, which was part of a separate special counsel investigation, the White House seemed to admit that it was imprudent or inappropriate for the president to intervene.

In the courtroom, Trump’s legal team has already attempted to leverage the president's statements and press reports about the White House’s keenness on Trump's prosecution.

These accounts have been used as material for motions that look to dismiss the current federal cases over selective prosecution.

Biden’s announcement on Monday would likely play a key role in motions asserting it would be challenging or unfeasible to constitute a jury for the federal election fraud case against Trump.

A spokesperson for the White House didn't instantly revert to a request for a remark, but it seems like the president’s statement indicates a finality that, consequent to Monday’s Supreme Court decision, the possibility of a jury trial in the Trump case prior to the election is so remote that there's little incentive left for Biden to withhold.

Biden, who had been at the Camp David presidential getaway this week, issued the statements post his early return to the White House.

Max Fischer for TROIB News