BBC presenter David Aaronovitch calls on Biden to have Trump ‘murdered’
A leftist BBC presenter is under fire after he suggested that President Biden should have Donald Trump “murdered” in the wake of his Supreme Court immunity ruling.
“If I was Biden I’d hurry up and have Trump murdered on the basis that he is a threat to America’s security,” Radio 4 host David Aaronovitch, 69, wrote on X.
His comment was in response to the Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling Monday that Trump has immunity for any “official acts” he made during his presidency.
The decision did not define what is considered “official acts,” though it noted that not everything a president does is considered official business.
Aaronovitch’s reaction sparked immediate backlash – including one account that suggested “people have had police visits for a lot less. Knock knock.”
When Aaronovitch deleted his initial post, GB News contributor Alex Armstrong accused him of “backtracking” due to advice from his “handlers.”
“Ooh Alex. Tell me about my ‘handlers,’” Aaronovitch scoffed in reply.
Another journalist, Jack Montgomery, suggested that Aaronovitch had “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
“‘Impartiality’ may not be in the best of health at the BBC..,” quipped columnist Steven Barratt.
“If you think that saying it was satire will protect you, you was trying to incite violence against Donald Trump. Absolutely disgusting behavior,” another commenter replied under Aaronovitch’s post.
“Dude. You straight up called for Trump to be murdered,” yet another account chimed in. “You’re a disgusting POS.”
Aaronovich dismissed the feedback to his controversial post as a “far right pile on” to an idea that was “plainly satire.”
“If nothing else though it’s given me a map of some the daftest people on this site,” he said of the backlash.
The Orwell Prize winner is known for his often-scathing political takes. Following the Brexit vote in 2016, Aaronovitch suggested that the UK’s decision to leave the European Union would eventually be reversed as older voters started to die off.
In their dissenting opinions, Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson both addressed the issue of whether a president would have immunity in cases of murder – including the assassination of a would-be political rival, ABC News noted.
When a president “uses his official powers in any way, under the majority’s reasoning, he now will be insulated from criminal prosecution. Orders the Navy’s Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival? Immune,” Sotomayor suggested.
The Monday ruling cleared the path for Trump to continue to appeal the charges that he unlawfully tried to remain in power on Jan. 6, 2021 – further delaying any trials in the case by several months or even years.
Trump, 78, will face off against Biden, 81, in the presidential election Nov. 5. If elected, he will be the second president after Grover Cleveland to serve non-consecutive terms in office.
