The US Supreme Court ruled on Monday that former President Donald Trump is exempt from prosecution for any "official acts" he carried out while in office. Trump has claimed absolute immunity for actions he took while serving in the White House and has been fighting federal charges for his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss, including the riot at the Capitol.
The court ruled that former presidents are entitled to "absolute immunity" for actions within their "constitutional authority." However, it added that the Constitution offers no protection from prosecution of acts carried out in a "private capacity." It sent the case back to a lower court.
Trump faces four charges, including conspiracy to obstruct the official proceeding in Congress to certify the results of the election. In January 2021, he repeated false claims that the election was "stolen" and told his supporters to "fight like hell." The FBI says thousands of people then stormed the Capitol.
Trump praised the court's decision on social media, describing it as a "big win" for the Constitution and for democracy.
Democratic leaders called it a "sad day for America," saying the ruling is "disgraceful" but does not "change the facts."
Still, the decision has all but ended the prospect of Trump being tried before November's presidential election.