Democrat favorite Nikki Haley has declared that President Donald Trump should not be “entirely immune” from the politically motivated criminal cases he is being persecuted with.
Haley, Trump’s only remaining 2024 Republican primary “rival,” made the comments during a new interview with Fox News.
Haley said she is backing the Supreme Court’s decision to take up his immunity case and “settle it once and for all.”
She argues that presidents should not be “entirely immune” from criminal penalties, even when they are being pushed by political rivals to interfere in the election process.
“The Supreme Court should take up this question and settle it once and for all,” Haley told Fox News on Thursday.
“No person should be entirely immune from penalties for crimes committed, not even a president – not Clinton, not Biden, and not Trump.”
In a win for the 45th president, the court agreed to review whether he has immunity from prosecution in Special Counsel Jack Smith’s federal election interference case.
The high court moved to expedite the matter.
Justices are planning to begin arguments the week of April 22 and will produce a ruling by late June.
Trump’s criminal trial has been put on hold pending resolution of the matter.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) applauded the development.
“The fact that the Supreme Court took it up is pretty telling,” Johnson said in a statement.
Discussing the delay in Trump’s federal election interference case as a result, Johnson warned:
“I think these very partisan prosecutions, that’s what they’re designed to do.”
The Supreme Court’s agreement to hear the appeal is likely to push Trump’s federal trial into the late summer or early fall, not far from the November presidential election.
“They are election interference to a far greater extent than anything Russia or China ever could hope to accomplish,” he continued.
The senator was hopeful the court’s choice signaled some resistance to the “election interference,” but noted, “We’ll see how the Supreme Court rules.”
Trump’s foes, meanwhile, criticized the Supreme Court for being willing to hear the case.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) claimed the court is “placing itself on trial” with the decision.
Pelosi questioned “whether the justices will uphold the fundamental American value that no one is above the law – not even a former president.”
Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) also slammed the court’s plan to review Trump’s claim of presidential immunity.
“Delaying the January 6 trial suppresses critical evidence that Americans deserve to hear,” she wrote in a post on X.
“Donald Trump attempted to overturn an election and seize power,” she added.
“Our justice system must be able to bring him to trial before the next election.
“SCOTUS should decide this case promptly.”
Cheney was a part of the Democrats’ Select Committee to “investigate” the January 6, 2021 protests at the U.S. Capitol before she lost her seat in the House.
She ran for reelection but was dealt a humiliating defeat in her Republican primary by Trump-endorsed Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY).
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), an “impeachment manager” for Trump’s second impeachment trial, predicted the Supreme Court taking up the case could help guarantee a “blue wave” in November.
“My view of the SCOTUS action: if the trial is delayed until after November, we will see THE LARGEST BLUE WAVE IN HISTORY,” Lieu wrote on X.
“If November becomes a referendum on whether Trump faces justice, then Democrats will absolutely flip the House, keep the White House and expand the Senate.”
Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA) said on the social media platform that the Supreme Court decision will “help Donald Trump run out the clock and avoid justice.”
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