Presidency is the most powerful office in the world. So an officer not only tests your judgment. Perhaps even more importantly, it's an officer. Test your character because you're not only face moments. We need the courage to exercise the full power of the presidency. You also face moments where you need the wisdom to respect the limits of the power the office of the presidency. This nation was founded on the principle that there are no kings in America. Each each of us is equal before the law. No one. No one is above the law. Not even the president of United States. Today's Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity. That fundamentally changed for all. For all practical purposes. Today's decision almost certainly means that there are virtually no limits on what a president can do. This is a fundamentally new principle, and it's a dangerous precedent because the power of the office will no longer be constrained by the law. Even including the Supreme Court of the United States, the only limits will be self-imposed by the president alone. This decision today has continued the court's attack in recent years on a wide range of long established legal principles in our nation from gutting voting rights and civil rights to taking away women's right to choose to today's decision that undermines the rule of law of this nation. Nearly four years ago, my predecessor sent a violent mob to the U.S. Capitol to stop the peaceful transfer of power. We all saw with our own eyes we sat there and watched it happen that day. Attack on the police, the ransacking in the Capitol, a mob literally hunting down the House. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, gallows erected to hang the vice president, Mike Pence. I think it's fair to say it's one of the darkest days in the history of America. Now, the man who sent that mob to the U.S. Capitol is facing potential criminal conviction. What happened that day? The American people deserve to have an answer in the courts before the upcoming election. A public has a right to know the answer about what happened on January six before they are asked to vote again this year. Now, because of today's decision, that is highly, highly unlikely. It's a terrible disservice to the people of this nation. So now now the American people have to do what the court should have been willing to do, but were not. The American people have to render a judgment about Donald Trump's behavior. The American people must decide whether Donald Trump's assault on our democracy on January six makes him unfit for public office. In the highest office in the land. The American people must decide if Trump's embrace of violence to preserve his power is acceptable. Perhaps most importantly, the American people must decide they want to entrust the president once again the presidency, to Donald Trump. Now, knowing he'll be more emboldened to do whatever he pleases, whenever he wants to do it. You know, the outset of our nation, it was the character of George Washington, our first president, to find the presidency. He believed power was limited, not absolute. And that power always resides with the people, always. Now, over 200 years later, today's Supreme Court decision once again will depend on the character of the men and women who hold that presidency that are going to define the limits of the power of the presidency. Because the law will no longer do it. I know I will respect the limits of the presidential powers I have for three and a half years. But any president, including Donald Trump, will now be free to ignore the law. I concur with Justice Sotomayor's dissent today. She here's what she said. She said. And every use of official power. The president is now a king above the law with fear for our democracy. I dissent. End of quote. So should the American people dissent? I dissent. And God bless you all. And may God help preserve our democracy. Thank you. May God protect her to hear. Drown out the phrase. That's why we that be Trump. President Biden speaking there. You did hear a few questions shouted at the end were not answered. I want to bring back in my colleagues, M.J. Lee, Jeff Zeleny, Van Jones. Also with me, M.J., are a short but forceful speech, talking about how today, how no one was above the law, not even the president of the United States. The president going on, though, to say today that fundamentally change the only limits of the office will now be self-imposed. And M.J. saying that he agreed with the dissent, the very strong, forceful defense from Justice Sotomayor, who said the president is now a king above the law. Just walk us through. We had had, as you noted, M.J., we had a sense of what he might say. But really driving this home in terms of its impact, M.J., on democracy. That's right. And just so remarkable coming from the president, given the events of the past few days, just as we had expected. He used this ruling to take Americans back to four years ago. He said the former president, Donald Trump, sat back and watched a violent mob attack the Capitol. And then he talked about the ruling in particular, saying that this means that there are now virtually no limits on what a president can do, even though he said this is a country where no one person can rule as king. He said in really remarkable statements that this that in his view, a dangerous precedent for the country. He said the decision today continues the court's attacks on a wide range of principles that are fundamental to this nation. And he said it undermines the rule of law. He said the public has a right to know what exactly happened on January 6th and really lamented the fact that as a result of this decision, that the public is likely not going to get the full answer. And that is when he pivoted to say it is now up to the American people to make a judgment. It is essentially up to them to vote against Donald Trump and make sure that he doesn't come into office or come back into office, I should say. And in one of the more remarkable moments from this speech, the president said the American people should dissent. I dissent. I just want to stress here, you know, this is a president and a White House that have been so careful whenever we have talked about legal decisions and rulings to make sure that he makes clear, he says that he respects very much the judicial system. And this is sort of the closest that we have ever heard him, I think, walk right up to the line of saying, I just fundamentally disagree. Obviously, the president made clear that he is resigned to the fact that there is nothing he can do about this ruling, but that he vehemently opposes and disagrees with this decision. And again, use this as a rallying cry for American voters to use their power to vote in November. And again, just incredibly interesting given what kind of political trouble he is in right now after that very poor performance at the debate last week. He's also started by bringing up character. Right. And talking about how being president will test your judgment and your character that you need courage in your decisions, but also the wisdom to respect the limits of the office and talked about how George Washington Right. Had found defined the presidency based on character, knowing that the power was not limited, was limited, rather was not absolute, and believed the power rests with the people. And then, Jeff, he went on to say, But the law, because the law will no longer do it now it is up to the people. As he then made the very forceful argument, as M.J. just pointed out, is it surprising to at all, Jeff, that he did go as far as he did tonight? Not at all. I mean, it's certainly the context of this, of course, is that his campaign and indeed his White House is in political crisis. So he is trying to turn the page, refocus this conversation on the campaign at hand and standing in the cross hall of the White House, a spot that has been used so many times and places in recent and long history to reframe this conversation. What the president did not do, of course, was take questions. What he did not do was talk about himself, but again, trying to redirect this campaign conversation and the American people to what he views as the stakes are in the election. This is the first step in what will have to be a series of steps to claw back attention on this campaign and to show Democrats first and foremost that he is up to this task. This has been a very dark moment for the campaign, in the words of Democrats alone. So the president clearly using this Supreme Court ruling today to make this not about him, but to try and make this about Donald Trump, which he failed to do at the debate on Thursday. But this, I'm told, is what his advisers hope is the beginning of several appearances that will try and reframe that argument. Van, how was this for step one? Well, if he was weak and uncertain last week, he's the opposite this week. That was strong. That was clear. That was decisive, and it was history making in its own way. It is very unusual for a president to be that direct. I dissent in the face of a Supreme Court decision, but I think he's pointing to a fear and alarm that exists in this country right now, because it does look like the Supreme Court just handed a license for lawlessness to whoever happens to be in the Oval Office. And if Donald Trump, who ran over every norm, every rule, every tradition before, when he thought he might face consequences, what would he do now? And so this is not a tangential issue to the president, to the presidential campaign. The Supreme Court just threw down the gantlet and said a president can be as lawless as he wants to be. And that makes this choice much more stark. I think that that Joe Biden that we just saw talking about character, talking about judgment, talking about American tradition, talking about George Washington, is the Joe Biden that deserves to win.
