BBC presenter David Aaronovitch faced backlash after he tweeted that former US President Donald Trump should be “murdered” in a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter. Aaronovitch later deleted the message, claiming it was meant as “satire.” The comment came after Monday’s confirmation from the US Supreme Court that former presidents have “absolute immunity” from prosecution for their official actions.
Aaronovitch is known for his role as the voice of BBC Radio 4’s ‘The Briefing Room’, a show that provides political analysis and commentary. In his tweet, he stated that if he were President Joe Biden, he would “hurry up and have Trump murdered on the basis that he is a threat to America’s security.” The post was accompanied by the hashtag #SCOTUS, indicating that the comment had been triggered by the court’s ruling.
The Supreme Court ruled that under the system of separated powers, the President may not be prosecuted for exercising his core constitutional powers and is entitled to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for his official acts. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Trump praised the verdict as a “big win for our Constitution and for democracy.
Despite this ruling, US federal prosecutors have charged Trump with four criminal counts related to the 2020 presidential election, alleging that he “conspired” to overturn the results. Trump has maintained that his prosecution is politically motivated and a “witch hunt” launched by President Biden and his administration.
While the Supreme Court ruling grants lower courts the right to hold evidentiary hearings to determine whether actions are official or unofficial, it does not cover unofficial acts by the president. This means that Trump could still face prosecution for unofficial activities performed during his time in office.
