'NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW'
Joe Biden & Kamala Harris take swipe at Trump as they double down on forcing a Supreme Court shake up before election
It comes after the Supreme Court made a ruling that was seen as a major victory for Trump
PRESIDENT Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are jointly proposing major changes to the Supreme Court just months before the election.
The suggested reforms include the removal of presidential immunity for crimes, a crackdown on ethics rules for justices, and the introduction of term limits.
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The president detailed the changes in a speech at the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum in Austin, Texas.
This was his first public speaking engagement since announcing his decision to end his presidential campaign last week.
"For all practical purposes, the court’s decision almost certainly means that the president can violate the oath, flout our laws, and face no consequences," Biden said.
"Folks, just imagine what a president could do trampling civil rights and liberties, given such immunity."
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He warned that "extremism is undermining the public confidence in the court’s decisions," saying that a second Trump administration would lead to an "onslaught attacking civil rights in America."
Vice President Harris and the presumptive nominee for the Democratic Party released a statement in support of Biden's calls for reform.
"President Biden and I are calling on Congress to pass important reforms – from imposing term limits for Justices’ active service, to requiring Justices to comply with binding ethics rules just like every other federal judge," said Harris.
"And finally, in our democracy, no one should be above the law. So we must also ensure that no former President has immunity for crimes committed while in the White House.
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"These popular reforms will help to restore confidence in the Court, strengthen our democracy, and ensure no one is above the law."
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson called the proposal "dead on arrival" in a social media post.
Donald Trump tells rally he ‘offered Joe Biden $1 million’ for a round of golf as he slams president for ‘backing out’
While speaking to reporters, Biden said that Johnson's thinking is dead on arrival.
'IN BREACH'
Biden will call on Congress to make the changes for Supreme Court term limits, a code of conduct, and new limits on presidential immunity at the LBJ Presidential Library to honor the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, a White House official confirmed.
"I served as a U.S. senator for 36 years, including as chairman and ranking member of the Judiciary Committee," the president said.
"I have overseen more Supreme Court nominations as senator, vice president and president than anyone living today.
"I have great respect for our institutions and separation of powers.
"What is happening now is not normal, and it undermines the public’s confidence in the court’s decisions, including those impacting personal freedoms.
"We now stand in a breach."
NO IMMUNITY
Biden's suggested changes would eliminate any immunity a former president has for crimes committed while in office.
The comments come after the Supreme Court already ruled earlier this month that former presidents of the US have absolute immunity from prosecution for their "official acts," but no immunity for unofficial acts.
The 6-3 ruling was seen as a major win for former President Donald Trump, who is facing a number of legal battles, including an election interference case regarding the insurrection on January 6.
However, the definitions of official and unofficial were not elaborated on.
The case is set to be sent back to lower courts to decide what counts as an official act as president - meaning Trump could still go to trial in Washington DC, where he faces federal charges related to conspiring to overturn the 2020 election results while in office.
It's unclear if he'll face federal charges in the trial, but presidents can still be prosecuted for acts committed in a personal setting.
Trump called the bombshell ruling "a big win for our Consitution and democracy," adding that he is "proud to be an American."
Biden slammed the ruling for setting a "dangerous precedent" that made Trump a "king above the law."
While Biden's Supreme Court reforms focused on ensuring legal consequences for presidents, he also wanted changes to impact justices.
His second reform topic is to introduce term limits for Supreme Court justices as there are for presidents.
What does the Trump ruling mean for his campaign?
The Supreme Court ruled on July 1 that preisdents have immunity from official acts while in office but not as private citizens.
Now, the question is if former President Donald Trump can be indicted in the lower courts.
Currently, Trump's case regarding his actions during the January 6, 2021, attacks on the US Capitol was sent back to trial court.
Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is presiding over the case, was sent instructions to determine which actions in the indictment constitute official conduct and if they should be dropped from the case.
The highest court ruled that "a former president is entitled to absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within his conclusive and preclusive constitutional authority."
"There is no immunity of unofficial acts," the ruling continued.
Special prosecutor Jack Smith, who brought the case against Trump, will now have to restructure his argument due to the new ruling.
Smith will have to argue whether Trump, who was president on January 6, undertook actions in his official capacity.
TERM LIMITS FOR JUSTICES
Biden wants to impose a term limit of 18 years for Supreme Court justices.
The change would allow presidents to appoint new justices once every two years.
"It would reduce the chance that any single presidency radically alters the makeup of the court for generations to come," Biden wrote.
CODE OF CONDUCT
The President's final reform is the introduction of a "binding code of conduct" for the Supreme Court as he blasted the current ethics code as "weak and self-enforced."
The new rules would require justices to "disclose gifts, refrain from public political activity, and recuse themselves from cases in which they or their spouses have financial or other conflicts of interest."
While each change will be hard to enact, the amendment on presidential immunity would be the most challenging.
At least two-thirds of members from both chambers would have to support the motion or a convention called by at least two-thirds of the states with ratification by 38 of 50 state legislatures.
'FLAME OF LIBERTY'
Meanwhile, Trump has taken to Truth Social to slam the current administration and bolster his own reelection campaign.
"Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, the worst administration in the history of our Country, will be a fading memory of the past," he wrote in a lengthy post.
The former president outlined his hopes for the country next year when he believes he will be at the helm.
"America’s borders will be STRONG, SEALED, and SECURE. Inflation will be in FULL RETREAT. Our economy will be roaring back. Optimism will be surging," he said.
"The American Dream will be thriving again for citizens of every race, religion, color, and creed. Law and Justice will reign all throughout our land.
"Freedom will be restored. The flame of liberty will be burning bright."
ON HIS WAY OUT
Biden's proposals come in the last few months of his presidency after he announced his resignation from the upcoming presidential race on July 21.
He caved to mounting pressure after concerns about his ability to run grew after a disastrous June debate, followed by weeks of unrelenting questions about his cognitive decline.
Over 30 Democrats had publicly asked Biden to withdraw his bid for the White House, while over 50 were reportedly ready to rally against him after a disastrous Zoom call on July 13 - just hours before a shooter attempted to assassinate Trump at his rally in Pennsylvania.
Biden condemned the shooting as "sick" as Trump's supporters rallied around him while he was officially named as the Republican presidential nominee and appeared unshaken in his first speech since the incident at the Republican National Convention days later.
Trump named JD Vance, who had also publicly called on Biden to resign, as his running mate for the upcoming election.
Meanwhile, Democrats are throwing support behind Vice President Kamala Harris as Biden endorsed her for his replacement in the presidential race.
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Former President Barack Obama also endorsed Harris as Trump blasted the new front-runner as a "San Francisco radical" and "Marxist fraud."
Kamala accepted the endorsement and promised to "earn the nomination" after she raised a record $81 million in donations in the 24 hours after Biden stepped down.