The Supreme Court’s decision on whether Trump has sweeping
political immunity will have “major consequences in both the short and long
term, regardless of how it turns out,” Lauren Mattioli, assistant
professor of political science at Boston University, tells the BBC:
If
the court rules in favour of Trump, not only will the relevant
criminal cases against him be dropped, but it would also “discourage
future cases from being filed against any president suspected of criminal
wrongdoing,” she says.
If
the court rules that Trump doesn’t have immunity, the cases against
him can continue, and it “could potentially embolden the use of criminal
prosecution against former presidents in the future,” Mattioli explains.
The final decision is important in terms of how the Supreme
Court views presidents within the system of separated powers, she adds.
“Ruling in favour of total presidential immunity would mean
the judiciary giving up its own power to check the executive.
Quote Message: The justices have to weigh the political fortune of Donald Trump against a loss of power within their own branch of government.
The justices have to weigh the political fortune of Donald Trump against a loss of power within their own branch of government.