>> comgis afternoon, more live white house coverage. vefor u on c-span. >> two tos li coverage of the 2024 national political n four-day event in milwaukee on july 16. next, catch the democrats as they convene in chicago on august 19. stay connected to c-span for an uninterrupted and unfiltered ps what's the republican and democratic national -- the democratic andrepublicanio c-span, your unfiltered view of politics.

celebrate independence day during our fourth of july sale going on now at org. save up to 15% on all c-span products site right including teachers, hoodies, hats, -- t-shirts, hoodies, hats, and accessories. scan the code or go to c-spanshop.org to shop our fourth of july sale. to today's "washington journal." t th the headlines of the major national papers. here is the washington post. the new york times says justices give trump substantial immunity. the washington post, justices give presidents wide immunity. usa today, trump entitled to some immunity. and the washington times ruling gives presidents absolute

immunity. and here is the associated press with this headline. what to know about the supreme court immunity ruling in trump's 2020 election interference case. it says that the ruling mday in former president trump's 2020 election interference case makes it all but certain the republican will not face trial in washington ahead of the the supreme court did not dismiss the indictment alleging trumpeg cling to power after he lost a president joe bidbuti amounts tr victory for the presumptive republican presidential nominee. his legal strategy has focused on delaying the proceedings until after the election. the timing of the trial matters because of trump defeats biden, he could appoin general who would seek the dismissal of this case other federal prosecutions he faces, or trump could order a trump postedn

letters on his social media network shortly after the decision was released "big win for our constitution and democracy. proud to be an american!" president biden also had a reaction last night. here is a portion from the white house. [video clip] >> 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 thesi united states. today, the supreme couonn presil immunity, that fundamentally changed for all, for all practical purposes. y's decision almost literally means there are virtually no limits what a president can this is a fundamentally new principal. it precedent because the power of the office willd by the law, even including the

supreme court of the united 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 ranging established laws in from taking away a woman's right to choose to today's decision that undermines the rule of law in this nation. host: and we are getting your reaction to the supreme court's ruling on presidential immunity. here is a few lawmakers. that the decided on what a majority of americready knew, was weaponizet trump. the separation of powers and the sueme court upheld the constitutional authority of the presiden and senator elabh warren. an extrestupreme court stack by donald trump has ruled

president is above the law. have given the president free reign hyper-partisan prosecutors like jack smith cannot weaponized the rule of law to go aerhe administt's g political rival. and we hope the left will stop the attacks on president trump and ho democraticor. representative steve cohen says today's opinion weaponiz beyond even trump's immunity operation warp speed for retrib revenge. as sotomayor said, democracy is in danger and joe biden is its champion. we will go to the phones now to george in virginia, indet. good morning. caller: good morning. how yo today? host: good.

caller: thank you. good morning, america. i agree with the supreme court's decision. i think the democrats are doing what do en they do not get their own way, and that is scream and yell and jump how. i cases in order to stop donald trump from being able to run for the presidency, and al believe they are the biggest danr to democracy, more than donald trump or the republicans are because of weaponizing the courts. host all right, george. let's talk to jennifer next in lexington, virginia, democrat. caller: yes ma'am. thank you for taking michael.

i regret the decision handed down by the supreme court. i wish that they had not decided that way. i feel like the declaration of independence is now a paper basket article and i wish to encourage democra aall-americang at half staff, especially through the fourth of july and in standing with every declaration of independence, which i feel has been greatlyñv compromised if nt just done away with cotethank y. host: let's talk to vince in mount joy, pennsylvania, republican. good morning. caller: yes, morning. i would like to say first of all i have been watchingoufoprobabl. since donald trump got elected, it is one trump haight topic after another. i think this is just another

one. we are not talking about the 13 soldiers that were killed under joe biden. all of the on millions of illegals that are here. host: what do you think abtulin? do you agree with it? caller: pardon? host: do you agree with the ruling, the supreme court ruling yesterday? caller: of course i do. they are the supreme court. why wouldn't i? ho: you agree with everything the supreme court rules on? caller: of course i would. if they came down on othe another president, that would have to be the y of another party, i would agree with that too. we cannot pick and choose what we want to agree with what we like them and when we don't like what the hell has president trump really done? host: let's talk to denver in kentucky, iependent. caller: yes.

thank you for taking my call. thank you for taking my call. host: all right. 's take a look at the portion of t opinion by chief justice john roberts. this is the majority opinion. he says the president enjoys no munity for his unofficial president does is official.e the president is not above the law, but under a system of separated powers, thede constutional powers. and he is entitled to at least presumptive immunity■÷ from prosecution for his official acts. that immunity applies equally tl office. we are getting your reaction this morning. mike is a democrat in lake mills, wiscons. hi, mike. caller: hey, good morning.

taking my call. i believe what happened litical failure in the history of america. the democrat party bears responsibility for this. on january 27 in the year of ouk obama stood floor, and he mentioned citizens united and all the horrors it would bring. vicere biden sat right behind him clapping and smiling. the democratic party left that ybod else. they went, got their unlimited campaign and they supplied the favors. the republican party since thth and the party have been planning for project

2025. the democratic party want to g save lgbtq rights. host: so, like, regarding -- reg yesterday, what is it you wanted the democratic party to have done? caller: the democraticarty should have started right after barack obama's staf ion addressd have put something together to st: legislation, you mean? caller: legislatioanybody listet now, unlimited campaign funds is speech? united led directly to this immunity dision? caller: yes, i do. caller: how? because this cabal of money that is coming into politics has divided our nation. there is just no doubt about

that. ■listen to your callers. everything they are saying is coming right from this cabal. host: all right, mike. let's talk to gary an independent in oceanside, new york. caller: good morning. for king my call. i usually lean toward the am a union member. wher is it going to end now with our country? the pren just like us. they need to do some things that are not kosher but they still vew to stop by from turning around and saying trump is a threat to our democracy and we will take him out? erllt end? host: and is from plymouth, massachusetts, republican. ■ll plymouth, massachusetts, where it all started.

the oath is clear, preserve and the constitution of the united states. we have to prosecute harry truman for killing tens of thousands of people in japan. the presidency is unique, and this is whycaus a conundrum for the democrats, because you need a qualified president. information is coming into that oval office every hour. it weighed. host: the issue with the dropping of the bomb on nagasaki and japan so that was an act of war. would you see that as a criminal -- caller: could have beenrgue to be handled differently. my point is immunity. the president has to have immunity because it is a unique office. nobody else has that information, and this is why we have to elect qualified people. this is the conundrum for the democrats.

caller: yes. wed up. they talk about judicial activism. i don't know where they found this in or they rigged the decision to be decided later by a judge who can be biased or not. they just left the door wide open to interpretation. not only tha h republicans calling now. you cannot have it both ways. you cannot talk about what biden should have went to jail for and whatnot and say that he was wrong and he should be in jail and now say this is a good thing.can't really have it both ways, but it shows how thiscour.

77% of americans do not believe this. i will finish with this. they are claiming you have to have the leeway to be bold and make decisions. ealtith already. if you did something like and you went to court, you go nd y make your case. host: since you mentioned polls, thisa month so this is obviously before the ruling, asking the question about former president trump. should he have immunit actions taken while president? 38% said yes, he should. 62% said no, he shouldn't.

this is broken down by party. so democrats, 10% to 90%. 67% to 33% saying he shouldn't, and then independents in the middle, 36% sa. that is on cbsnews.com if you would like to ta l that. john is next in california, republican. caller: yes, good morning. i would like to say i have been a c-span watcher and the callers hearings, and the caller from massachusetts was 100% right. why does c-span have to get a political analyst or legal analyst from politico? why do you get andy mccarthy or alan dershowitz or somebody like that?

the seal team six argument has been put to rest. that would not happen. it would not be a lawful act by the president of the united states. it is still illegal. it would have been illegal before. it is illegal c-span, you got to quit this trump derangement syndrome. you guys did the same thing during the colorado supreme court decision. you had two legal analysts on at days of each other. one from cbs, and a lady from abc. they both argued that, yes, the supreme has the right to keep trump off the ballot, and every other legal analyst i heard, including some of the liberal networks, said that was not right, that the decision would not stand.appene. it went down.

not 5-4, 6-3, 7-2. 9-0. two of your legal analysts that you put forward -- host: going back to this court case from ye immunity case, what are your thoughts on that? caller: my thoughts on that, if it would stand the president has no immunity as the left-wingers want to get trump at all costs, barack obama could be tried for american citizens in a foreign country. d tried, and i believe he has done it, violating the civil rights of donald trump by weaponizing his justice department. host: so you think this could be caller: it is a limited decisipped to all future presidents unless some future court overturns it and find a di

ook at part of justice sotoma' in this case, she says this. "never in the history of our republic had a president had reason to believe he would be immune from criminal prosecution if he used his office to violate e moving forward, however, all former puch munity. if the occupant of that office misuses official power for personal gain, the criminal law that the rest of us must abide will not provide a backstop. with fear for our democracy, i dissent." cynthia in south carolina, independent. caller: yes. ca shost: casey. caller: i think the supreme court's decision is trump tried to overturn our government by hook or crook, and jim jordan was a party in

assisting him in that. to be president. he should be in court now fo the charges pending against him, and that the supreme court has decided this, i just don't understand. it is like we are headed for a dictatorship because of what trump has already said. host: i want t what former callers said, that the presidency has special official duties and k certain things the rest of us do not know so they have to be prosecution.om criminal what do you make of that argument? trump has done, they are talking about sending out troops or sending people into war situations. that i do not think is

president unle h■a now, i don't know what isng to happen to our country now. trump, what he has done is total crimin. he has asked people to overturn their preference for presi. he has gone to try to talk. they have him on the phone trying to get the person in georgia to give him 11,000 more votes. what more do you need? he is a criminal. this is not anything to do with the presidency. it is just that he wants to be back in that office so he can completely destroy our host: charles in tennessee, line for democrats, good morning.

caller: yes, ma'am. yesterday was probably the biggest blow that the united states had. our presidents, they got free reign to do whatever they want to do. in the united states 10 years , look at it and you will find russia. am i still on? it i communism. donald trump is really out of the supreme court is nothing but another extension of a political party. th i the other minorities, they have just had it.

■and i am white.e$ i am telling you, n should do something about this. if he can be prosecuted, do whatever it takes to right this. host: like what, charles? what are you hoping that he caller: maybe take donald trump. take him off the ballot. do whatever it takes to secure these ballots in these states and stuff because this is the biggest blow the united states has ever took. our democracy is falling. it is falling and falling fast.. i know joe biden had a bad deal the other night, but people, please do not let donald trump

get back to president. i am telling you, they are not going to have a snowball's chance in torment. this is pitiful what is going on. i thank you. host: all right, charles. let's talk to charlotte, a republican in fort wayne, indiana. good morning. caller: good morning. i wanted to president biden spoke regarding donald trump's conviction and was rigged, president biden said these words, this is his quote, that is how the american system of justice works, and it is reckless, it is eronsible for ay this was rigged because they don't like the verdict. our justice system has endur for nearly 250 years, and it literally is a cornerstone of america.

our justice system should be respected. we should never allow anyone to tear it down. and so now that they did not get their way, president biden wants to pack the supreme court bee so which is it? are we supposed to respect the courts and the verdicts they give regardless if you like it or don't like it, or are we supposed to dissent now that he does not like the way the verdict came out? you have so many people talking about our democr■j we are not a democracy. were. democracy is mob rule. and if you remember these words, i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, with liberty and justice for all.

democracy is simply mob rule. tom is next in florida, independent. caller: yes. i was going to get my dog to call on the democratic side but he cannot talk. this is the worst thing that ever happened. if donald trump wasn't running, wa in charge of insurrection? no. were five cops killed? no. every single state has rules. th election rule -- i literally work for the democratic party of cook county out of chicago, for the speaker of the house. i am independent now. billions of dollars for ukraine. open borders. you can castrate little kids because a little boy picked up a barbie doll. this whole thing of the court, it is a unitarian branch.

constitution, and it is the president, the executive branch, the unitarian branch. the department of justice did not exist when the constitution was written. so a subordinate can take the president out.y< it is just kind of crazy that this thing in florida where inko what they are going after him for. it was called the kkk bill to keep the klan from keeping blacks from voting, which was an extension of the democratic party. host: let's take a look at a little bit morfr justice roberts' majority opinion.