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Gone quiet · last update Aug 27, 2024 / Donald Trump

The Supreme Court's 2024 ruling that presidents have immunity for official acts

Overview · reviewed October 28, 2026

On July 1, 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that former presidents may claim immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts, in a case arising from Donald Trump's prosecution on charges of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election.[1][2] The decision, which Justice Sonia Sotomayor said in dissent "reshapes the institution of the presidency,"[3] delayed Trump's federal election case and rippled into his other prosecutions.[4][5] Democrats proposed a constitutional amendment and legislation to reverse it.[6][7]

Read the timeline

Follow this story to see new developments when you return.

The decision, which Justice Sonia Sotomayor said in dissent "reshapes the institution of the presidency,"[3] delayed Trump's federal election case and rippled into his other prosecutions.[4][5] Democrats proposed a constitutional amendment and legislation to reverse it.[6][7]

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · monthly average of weekly shares (UTC)

Oct 2023: average weekly share 2% (left under 1%, center 1%, right 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksNov 2023: average weekly share 3% (left 1%, center 2%, right 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksDec 2023: average weekly share 21% (left 8%, center 9%, right 5%), from 4 of 4 weeksJan 2024: average weekly share 8% (left 3%, center 4%, right 1%), from 5 of 5 weeksFeb 2024: average weekly share 24% (left 8%, center 10%, right 6%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2024: average weekly share 4% (left 1%, center 1%, right 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksApr 2024: average weekly share 9% (left 3%, center 4%, right 2%), from 5 of 5 weeksMay 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJun 2024: average weekly share 1% (left under 1%, center 1%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksJul 2024: average weekly share 15% (left 5%, center 6%, right 4%), from 5 of 5 weeksAug 2024: average weekly share 2% (left 1%, center 1%, right under 1%), from 4 of 4 weeksSep 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksOct 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksDec 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJan 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksFeb 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksApr 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMay 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJun 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJul 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksAug 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksSep 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksOct 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksDec 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJan 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksFeb 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksApr 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMay 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJun 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJul 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksAug 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksSep 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksOct 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 2 of 2 weeks, so far

LeftCenterRight

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings. Over more than two years each bar is a month: the average of that month's weekly shares, so the shape stays readable. The weekly table below keeps every week. We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 10 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (23 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Aug 26, 202479319 of 2049%
Jul 29, 202468923 of 22810%
Jul 8, 20240527 of 1844%
Jul 1, 2024455131127 of 21360%
Jun 24, 202418110 of 2504%
Apr 22, 202425331876 of 22334%
Apr 8, 20241015530 of 26411%
Mar 18, 202499927 of 24611%
Mar 4, 20243339 of 2544%
Feb 26, 202430361783 of 25632%
Feb 12, 202420251459 of 24224%
Feb 5, 202431352591 of 24238%
Jan 29, 20241117533 of 23514%
Jan 15, 20243227 of 2233%
Jan 8, 20241926853 of 24322%
Dec 25, 20231214632 of 20715%
Dec 18, 202327341778 of 23633%
Dec 11, 202326221563 of 22528%
Dec 4, 202367316 of 2177%
Nov 27, 2023717529 of 23512%
Oct 23, 20230527 of 2383%
Oct 16, 20231517 of 2483%
Oct 2, 202356415 of 2436%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Aug 26, 2024 · first reported · Headline from Wfmy News 2

    Federal prosecutors file new indictment against Trump following Supreme Court's immunity ruling

Background

In October 2023, Donald Trump asked the judge overseeing special counsel Jack Smith's case accusing him of trying to overturn the 2020 election to dismiss the charges, arguing that he was immune for acts taken as president.[8] US District Judge Tanya Chutkan refused in December,[9] and Trump appealed.[10] Smith asked the Supreme Court to decide the question immediately, which Trump opposed, and the appeals court heard the case first.[11][12][13] In February 2024 a federal appeals panel ruled that Trump was not immune,[14] after expressing deep skepticism at argument toward his claim that he could not be prosecuted.[15] Chutkan postponed the March 4 trial date while the appeal was pending.[16]

Read the full background (2 more paragraphs)

The Supreme Court agreed on February 28 to decide whether Trump could claim immunity,[17] keeping his trial on hold. His lawyers warned that without immunity future presidents could face "de facto blackmail and extortion,"[18] while Smith urged the court to reject claims of sweeping immunity.[19] At argument in April the justices appeared ready to reject Trump's claims of sweeping immunity.[20] On July 1 the court ruled that Trump may claim immunity from prosecution for some of the actions he took in office.[1]

Sotomayor's dissent was blistering,[3] and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson later said she was "concerned" about it.[21] Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said she would push to justices,[22] a House Democrat prepared a constitutional amendment,[6] and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced legislation reaffirming that presidents have no immunity for criminal acts.[7] Trump used the ruling to seek delays in his other cases: Judge Aileen Cannon allowed more briefing on immunity in the classified documents case,[23] and his sentencing in the New York hush money case was pushed to September.[5] Jack Smith's later reports and the probes of him are followed separately.

Supporting stories (23)
  1. How the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling can help Donald Trump fight off all the criminal charges against him
  2. Trump asks Supreme Court to dismiss case charging him with plotting to overturn 2020 election - The Daily Reporter
  3. Liberal justices Sotomayor and Jackson issue scathing dissents of Trump immunity ruling
  4. Trump asks judge to delay his classified docs case following Supreme Court immunity ruling
  5. Trump asks judge to overturn hush money conviction after Supreme Court immunity ruling
  6. House Democrat is proposing a constitutional amendment to reverse Supreme Court’s immunity decision
  7. Schumer to introduce No Kings Act in attempt to reverse Supreme Court immunity decision
  8. Trump lawyers seek dismissal of DC federal election subversion case, arguing presidential immunity
  9. Judge rejects Trump’s claim of immunity in his federal 2020 election prosecution
  10. Trump appeals ruling rejecting immunity claim as window narrows to derail federal election case
  11. Why Jack Smith is taking Trump’s immunity claim straight to the Supreme Court
  12. Supreme Court rejects prosecutor's push to fast-track ruling in Trump election subversion case
  13. Trump to return to federal court as judges hear arguments on whether he is immune from prosecution
  14. Trump not immune from prosecution in 2020 election interference case, US appeals court says
  15. With Trump present in court, judges express skepticism of claims that he's immune from prosecution
  16. Judge will delay Trump's federal trial as court considers his presidential immunity claim
  17. Supreme Court sets April arguments over whether Trump can be prosecuted for election interference
  18. Trump tells Supreme Court that rejecting immunity claim ‘would be the end of the presidency as we know it’
  19. Special counsel Jack Smith urges Supreme Court to reject Trump’s claim of immunity
  20. Supreme Court appears likely to side with Trump on some presidential immunity
  21. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson Sounds Alarm About Trump Immunity Ruling
  22. AOC Aims to Impeach Supreme Court Justices Over Presidential Immunity Ruling
  23. Judge Aileen Cannon grants Trump's request to pause some deadlines in classified documents case amid immunity questions

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 43 recorded updates

August 2024

  1. Federal prosecutors file new indictment against Trump following Supreme Court's immunity rulingHeadline from Wfmy News 2 · 13 outlets
  2. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson Sounds Alarm About Trump Immunity RulingHeadline from Black Enterprise · 7 outlets

July 2024

  1. Chuck Schumer unveils bill to ax Supreme Court’s Trump immunity rulingHeadline from New York Post · 5 outlets
  2. Schumer to introduce No Kings Act in attempt to reverse Supreme Court immunity decisionHeadline from FOX 29 Philadelphia · 13 outlets
  3. Mark Meadows asks Supreme Court to intervene in Georgia case, citing Trump immunityHeadline from ABC 7 New York · 9 outlets
  4. Trump asks judge to overturn hush money conviction after Supreme Court immunity rulingHeadline from NBC4 Washington · 7 outlets
  5. Judge Aileen Cannon grants Trump's request to pause some deadlines in classified documents case amid immunity questionsHeadline from NBC News · 4 outlets
  6. Trump asks judge to delay his classified docs case following Supreme Court immunity rulingHeadline from ABC 30 Fresno · 14 outlets
  7. House Democrat is proposing a constitutional amendment to reverse Supreme Court’s immunity decisionHeadline from The Boston Globe · 6 outlets

June 2024

  1. AOC Aims to Impeach Supreme Court Justices Over Presidential Immunity RulingHeadline from The Daily Signal · 12 outlets
  2. Liberal justices Sotomayor and Jackson issue scathing dissents of Trump immunity rulingHeadline from NBC10 Philadelphia · 4 outlets
  3. How the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling can help Donald Trump fight off all the criminal charges against himHeadline from ABC 17 Mid-Missouri · 130 outlets
  4. Supreme Court poised to rule in Trump presidential immunity case on MondayHeadline from ABC 13 Houston · 2 outlets
  5. US Supreme Court Latest: Court expected to rule on Trump immunity case as end of term nearsHeadline from Bangor Daily News · 15 outlets

April 2024

  1. The Supreme Court will decide whether Trump is immune from federal prosecution. Here's what's nextHeadline from Minneapolis Star Tribune · 7 outlets
  2. Supreme Court to hear Trump immunity caseHeadline from The Garden Island · 18 outlets
  3. Supreme Court appears likely to side with Trump on some presidential immunityHeadline from SCOTUSblog · 70 outlets
  4. Special counsel Jack Smith urges Supreme Court to reject Trump’s claim of immunityHeadline from ABC 17 Mid-Missouri · 31 outlets

March 2024

  1. Trump asks Supreme Court to dismiss case charging him with plotting to overturn 2020 election - The Daily ReporterHeadline from Green Field Reporter · 19 outlets
  2. Trump tells Supreme Court that rejecting immunity claim ‘would be the end of the presidency as we know it’Headline from CNN · 9 outlets

February 2024

  1. Supreme Court sets April arguments over whether Trump can be prosecuted for election interferenceHeadline from NJ.com / Star-Ledger · 62 outlets
  2. Supreme Court will hear Trump presidential immunity argument April 25Headline from NBC New York · 41 outlets
  3. Special counsel urges Supreme Court to deny Trump’s request for delay in immunity caseHeadline from CBS News · 54 outlets
  4. What’s next as Trump tries to stave off his 2020 election trial? All eyes are on the Supreme CourtHeadline from WTOP Washington DC · 8 outlets
  5. Trump asks Supreme Court to put off his election interference trial, claiming immunityHeadline from Boston · 26 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →