“In effect, today's decision almost certainly means that there will be virtually no limit to the president's action,” Biden said, adding that he vowed to “respect the limits of presidential power.”
The president also said the decision meant it was “highly unlikely” that Trump would be indicted before the November election, calling it a “terrible disservice to the American people.”
“So now the American people must do what the court was willing to do but did not,” Biden said. “The American people must find that Donald Trump's attack on our democracy on January 6th makes him unfit to hold the highest office in the land.”
With his poor debate performance and Democrats questioning his fitness and under intense scrutiny, Biden has kept the focus on Trump and sought to put the choice before voters.
“The American people must decide whether it is acceptable for Donald Trump to resort to violence to stay in power,” he said. “Perhaps most importantly, the American people must decide whether they want to entrust the presidency to Donald Trump again, knowing that he will be increasingly emboldened to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants.”
The comments marked a rare attack on the judiciary for Biden, who has sought to characterize his presidency by trying to restore faith in American institutions. But Biden, who as a senator served as longtime chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which oversees Supreme Court nomination hearings, has been irritated by some of the committee's recent decisions, most notably the Dobbs The decision that was abolished Roe v. Wade It declared that there is no constitutional right to abortion.
“Today's decision continues the Supreme Court's recent attacks on a wide range of our nation's long-established legal principles, from eviscerating voting and civil rights to stripping women of their right to choose,” Biden said in a White House speech.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, accused Biden of unfairly attacking the judiciary. “What we're seeing tonight is despicable and dangerous behavior,” Johnson told Fox News. “The president is trying to undermine our system of justice.”
Biden began his comments by reflecting on the far-reaching impact the decision could have on future presidential actions.
“The presidency is the most powerful office in the world,” he said, “a office that tests not only judgment but, perhaps more importantly, character, for we face moments that call for the courage to exercise the full power of the office but also moments that call for the wisdom to respect the limits of that power.”
At the end of his remarks, Biden sought to place the ruling in a historical context that stretches back to the nation's founding.
“When our country was founded, it was the character of our first president, George Washington, that defined the presidency. He believed that power was limited, not absolute, and that power always belonged to the people. And that's always been the case,” Biden said. “More than 200 years later, the Supreme Court's decision means that the character of the man or woman who holds the office of the presidency matters again, because the law no longer dictates it.”
He ended with a new line: “May God bless you all, and may God protect our democracy,” and added, “May God protect our military.”
He then walked out of the room, ignoring shouted questions about the state of the campaign.
