Former President Donald Trump celebrated the Supreme Court’s ruling Monday keeping him on state ballots, saying the justices worked “brilliantly” to shut down a host of legal challenges calling him unqualified to run because of his behavior surrounding the 2020 election.
Mr. Trump called on the justices to extend his winning streak in another looming case by granting him immunity from criminal prosecution for actions he took while in the White House.
“I have great respect for the Supreme Court and I want to just thank them for working so quickly and so diligently and so brilliantly,” he said from his Florida home.
Mr. Trump also said that as president he considered illegal immigration an “invasion” and that President Biden already has the tools he needs to stop it without new laws from Congress.
He predicted Monday’s ruling would unify the country by settling his place on the ballot and turning the matter over to voters in the usual course of politics.
“They can go after me as a politician, they can go after me with votes. But they’re not going to go after me with that kind of lawsuit,” he said.
He added: “Biden ought to drop all of these things, and frankly he may do better.”
Mr. Trump said the election should be fought out on issues like the border, where he and Mr. Biden both made trips last week to get a look at the chaos. Mr. Biden used his visit to demand Congress approve new legislation and to blame Mr. Trump for opposing a bipartisan bill in the Senate.
The former president, though, said Mr. Biden is making excuses for his own negligence at the border, including erasing Mr. Trump’s get-tough policies that turned over a relatively secure border to Mr. Biden.
“You have the authorization right now. I did it. I didn’t go to Congress and say, ‘Do I have the right to close?’ I fought Congress on it,” Mr. Trump said. “Use my policies, my policies were great.”
His wide-ranging comments came hours after the justices ruled unanimously that Colorado overstepped when it booted him from the ballot in Tuesday’s GOP primary. Colorado had ruled Mr. Trump engaged in an insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, that he was barred from serving as president under the 14th Amendment, and that states can enforce that amendment by keeping him off their ballots.
The justices only ruled on the last question, saying only Congress can police the 14th Amendment. That shuts down challenges across the country.
Mr. Trump cheered what he called a “very well-crafted” ruling.
“I think it will go a long way toward bringing our country together, which our country needs,” he said. “Essentially you cannot take somebody out of race because an opponent would like to have it that way.”
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.