SCOTUS To Rule On Trump Immunity As Soon As Today

The United States Supreme Court is preparing to issue opinions on a string of cases which could impact the 2024 presidential election, with the first tranche expected today. Most notably, on whether former President Donald Trump’s status as a former president grants him immunity from prosecution by the Department of Justice - relevant to the Jan 6 election interference case and classified documents case, which are both pending without trial dates.

• Politico notes, “There are essentially three outcomes on the table: (1) Trump’s claim is rejected, which could clear the way for a criminal trial on the charges, although whether that would be before the election is unclear;
• “(2) The court finds that Trump has complete immunity, and the federal case headed up by special counsel Jack Smith is dead — dramatically expanding the scope of executive powers in the process; or
• “(3) The justices make a split decision, requiring Judge Tanya Chutkan to separate the actions Trump took in his official capacity as president from those he took as a political candidate — which would almost certainly push the case’s start past the election.”
• Also on the ticket is the court’s first ruling on a reproductive rights since the ‘Dobbs’ decision upended up the 2022 midterm elections. The case, which mainly impacts Idaho, is unlikely to have the same broad political impacts but could have implications for federal authority over states.
• SCOTUS opinions will be posted here. The independent SCOTUSBlog provides live analysis of the court's actions here.