Utah politicians mixed after Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity
Jul 1, 2024, 10:24 PM | Updated: 10:36 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — Politicians in Utah are mixed when it comes to Monday’s Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity and what it means for the future of the country.
Rep. Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake City, the Utah House minority leader, didn’t mince words about the 6-3 ruling that presidents are broadly protected from prosecution for their acts in office.
“I feel like this makes the president more like a king,” Romero told KSL TV in an interview. “It gives the president too much power.”
Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, who is also an attorney, called that logic “just wrong” and said people are making way too much of it.
“I think it’s a very pragmatic and rational framework that will serve us well as a country,” he said.
Weiler, a Republican, said the decision is about more than just former President Donald Trump, who’s charged with conspiring to overturn his 2020 election loss. He said it will impact presidents of all parties.
Supreme Court rules ex-presidents have broad immunity, dimming chance of a pre-election Trump trial
GOP praises the move
Meanwhile, Rob Axson, chairman of the Utah Republican Party, praised the Supreme Court’s move.
“The Supreme Court has provided constitutional clarity and guardrails with their ruling concerning official actions of a President,” Axson said in a statement. “This is a step in the right direction to ensure that rule of law rather than political driven animosity governs the day.”
But Romero, a Democrat, said the decision creates an imbalance between the branches of government.
“I’m sure Richard Nixon would have loved this ruling when he was president,” Romero said.
The House minority leader said she fears the Supreme Court’s direction will make it much harder to rein in a rogue commander-in-chief.
“I’m really concerned what can happen in the future – with future presidents – if they want to do what they want to do, there’s no accountability there,” said Romero.