BBC presenter David Aaronovitch deleted a social media post on Monday that mocked the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity ruling, suggesting that President Biden should “hurry up” and have former President Trump assassinated.
Aaronovitch’s comments follow the Supreme Court’s ruling that presidents have absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions that fall within the essential responsibilities of their office and that they are “at least presumptively immune” from criminal prosecution for all other acts officers.
“If I were Biden I would hurry up and have Trump assassinated on the basis that he is a threat to the security of America #SCOTUS,” Aaronovitch wrote in the now-deleted post on social platform X.
Aaronovitch, in a subsequent statement, said that his initial post was “simply satire” but that he decided to delete it after facing backlash.
“There is now a far-right pile on suggesting that my tweet about the Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity is an incitement to violence when it is clearly satire. So I’m deleting it,” Aaronovitch wrote Monday afternoon in X.
“If nothing else, it gave me a map of some of the craziest people on this site,” he added.
Aaronovitch continuous to attack his critics, adding in a subsequent post: “Incidentally, an anthropologist might find it interesting to examine the hashtags, biographies and tweet histories of those who attacked me here today. They reveal a quite extraordinary subculture.”
Democrats and other Trump opponents criticized the decision, arguing it will encourage future presidents to break the law with impunity — including former President Trump if he returns to the White House.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor alluded to the broad implications of the majority’s ruling on the presidency, writing in her dissent: “When he uses his official powers in any way, according to the majority’s reasoning, he will now be isolated from criminal prosecution.”
“Order Navy Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival? Immune,” she continued. “Do you organize a military coup to stay in power? Immune. Do you accept bribes in exchange for forgiveness? Immune. Immune, immune, immune.”
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
