An expert on international law weighs in on the legality and global implications of the Trump administration’s drug boat killings.
Supreme Court Grants Trump Broad Immunity for Official Acts, Placing Presidents Above the Law
‘2025: ‘At What Point Does Trump Cross a Line Into International Criminality?’
An expert on international law weighs in on the legality and global implications of the Trump administration’s drug boat killings.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/11/01/trump-boat-strikes-international-law-interview-00632077
If President Trump’s actions constitute international crimes, then the U.S. Supreme Court—by granting him immunity—bear legal and moral responsibility for enabling those crimes and obstructing accountability.
2020: Has President Trump Committed a War Crime by Pardoning War Criminals?
https://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2049&context=auilr
Supreme Court Grants Trump Broad Immunity for Official Acts, Placing Presidents Above the Law
https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/supreme-court-grants-trump-broad-immunity-for-official-acts-placing-presidents-above-the-law
(REMEMBER - THEY WOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT FOR BIDEN)
Legal Argument: Supreme Court as Enabler of International Crimes:
1. The Immunity Ruling Creates a Shield for Criminal Conduct In Trump v. United States, the Supreme Court ruled that a president has absolute immunity for core constitutional acts and presumptive immunity for other official conduct. This ruling effectively places the president above the law, even in cases involving grave misconduct.
2. International Law Rejects Absolute Immunity for War Crimes As Philippe Sands explains in his POLITICO interview, international law—especially post-Nuremberg—does not recognize immunity for crimes such as torture, murder, or crimes against humanity. The Pinochet precedent confirms that former heads of state can be indicted abroad when domestic systems fail to hold them accountable.
3. The Court’s Ruling Conflicts with International Legal Norms By granting immunity for official acts, the Supreme Court has created a legal framework that could be interpreted as obstructing justice under international law. If Trump’s drug boat strikes—which killed at least 61 people—are deemed illegal under the laws of armed conflict, then shielding him from prosecution may constitute complicity.
4. Complicity and Command Responsibility Extend Beyond Executives International criminal law recognizes indirect responsibility for those who enable, authorize, or fail to prevent crimes. If the Court’s ruling is used to justify or protect acts that violate international law, then its justices may be seen as facilitators of those crimes.
5. Precedent for Judicial Accountability Exists The Pinochet case and the ICC’s indictment of Duterte show that legal immunity is not absolute when international crimes are involved. If the Supreme Court’s decision leads to impunity for acts that violate international law, then the Court itself may be subject to universal jurisdiction or international investigation.
– The Supreme Court’s immunity ruling enables potential war crimes by shielding Trump from prosecution. – International law rejects such immunity for crimes against humanity. – Legal responsibility may extend to those who create or uphold frameworks that obstruct justice. – The Court’s actions could be interpreted as complicity, making it a legitimate subject of international legal scrutiny.
This argument does not claim the Court committed the crimes—but that it may have enabled them, and thus shares responsibility under international law.


