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Supreme Court live updates: Biden says SCOTUS decision sets 'dangerous precedent'

Trump called the ruling a "big win for our constitution and democracy."

The Supreme Court on Monday rejected Donald Trump's sweeping claim of "absolute" immunity from criminal prosecution in his federal election subversion case, but said former presidents are entitled to some protections for "official" acts taken while in the White House.

The ruling will affect whether Trump faces a federal trial this year on four felony counts brought by special counsel Jack Smith, including conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and obstruction of an official proceeding, for his attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden. Trump pleaded not guilty and has denied any wrongdoing.

The justices are sending the case back to the trial court to determine what acts alleged in Smith's indictment constitute official duties that could be protected from liability and which are not.


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Trump reacts to SCOTUS ruling

Former President Donald Trump released a statement about the Supreme Court's presidential immunity decision in a post on his social media platform.

"BIG WIN FOR OUR CONSTITUTION AND DEMOCRACY. PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!" Trump wrote on Monday morning.


Biden campaign reacts to SCOTUS ruling

A senior Biden campaign advisor released a statement about the court's ruling on immunity, stating "Today’s ruling doesn’t change the facts, so let’s be very clear about what happened on January 6: Donald Trump snapped after he lost the 2020 election and encouraged a mob to overthrow the results of a free and fair election."

The campaign argued that Trump "thinks he’s above the law and is willing to do anything to gain and hold onto power for himself."

-ABC News' Selina Wang


Supreme Court rules president has no immunity for unofficial acts

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on the immunity case against former President Donald Trump stating, "The President enjoys no immunity for his unofficial acts, and not everything the President does is official.

The ruling, in which all of the liberal justices dissented, added, "The President is not above the law. But under our system of separated powers, the President may not be prosecuted for exercising his core constitutional powers, and he is entitled to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for his official acts."


'It's a BIG decision,' Trump says

With the Supreme Court poised to rule in Trump’s presidential immunity case, former President Donald Trump is continuing to push his defense, saying Monday's decision with be a "big" and "important" one.

“It is a BIG decision, an important decision, a decision which can affect the Success or Failure of our Country for decades to come. We want a GREAT Country, not a weak, withering, and ineffective one. STRONG PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY IS A MUST!” Trump posted on his social media platform on Sunday.

-ABC News' Lalee Ibssa


SEAL Team 6 hypothetical assassination referenced in dissent

In their dissents, both justices Sotomayor and Jackson addressed the question of whether a president would have immunity from criminal prosecution for acts of murder -- including ordering the assassination of a political rival.

In their dissents, both Sotomayor and Jackson addressed the question of whether a president would have immunity from criminal prosecution for acts of murder -- including ordering the assassination of a political rival.

When the president "uses his official powers in any way, under the majority's reasoning, he now will be insulated from criminal prosecution," Sotomayor said in her dissent. "Orders the Navy's Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival? Immune."

ABC News Supreme Court contributor Kate Shaw said on ABC News Live Monday that she agreed with the dissenting opinion that ordering the hypothetical assassination could be considered immune from criminal prosecution.

"In terms of the application of this immunity to very extreme scenarios like ordering an assassination, I'm not sure the majority successfully explains why this rule would not shield that kind of conduct if it's engaged in an official capacity, even if it's wildly wrong and dangerous and destructive," she said. "If that conduct is done in official capacity, I think the dissent is right on this opinion's own logic. It would be immune, and that is a genuinely chilling implication of this case."

The SEAL Team 6 assassination hypothetical was raised during oral arguments on the case in April.

Sotomayor raised it first while questioning Trump attorney John Sauer. She pointed back to an earlier exchange Sauer had in a lower court proceeding.

"I'm going to give you a chance to say ... if you stay by it: If the president decides that his rival is a corrupt person and he orders the military, or orders someone, to assassinate him -- is that within his official acts for which he can get immunity?" she asked during oral arguments.

"It would depend on the hypothetical," Sauer answered. "We could see that could well be an official act."

-ABC News' Meredith Deliso and Alexandra Hutzler