Campaign will run ads across 12 states showcasing real conservatives making the case against presidential immunity as the Supreme Court considers the matter.
WASHINGTON – June 7, 2024 – Today Republicans for the Rule of Law launched a $2 million education and awareness campaign focused on the importance of the rule of law in the ongoing federal criminal trial for obstruction of the 2020 election. The campaign features conservative voices arguing that the Supreme Court should reject the former president’s claim of “absolute immunity” in this case, which the Court is currently considering and would effectively place any president above the law for crimes committed while in office.
The campaign features over 25 first-person testimonial ads from self-identified conservatives describing why they favor the rule of law over “absolute immunity,” and a compilation ad of these voices highlighting the dangers to the rule of law that these arguments represent. It also features this produced ad. These spots will air on digital and streaming platforms, including YouTube and Hulu, through June 23.
The campaign will target states where information about the immunity argument has been least available—such as Alabama and Texas—and those that are directly impacted by these arguments—such as Georgia and Pennsylvania.
“There would be no consequences [if absolute immunity were granted],” said Dolores, a conservative from Pennsylvania who is featured in one of the testimonials. “The Supreme Court must uphold that a president is not immune for his or her crimes while in office.”
“If the Supreme Court gives former President Trump what he wants, what he’s asking for, then he’s above the law,” said Kevin, another conservative from Virginia. “That threatens the very foundations of our Democratic Republic.”
The courts have been instrumental in upholding the rule of law at a time of severe strain on our democratic institutions. As argued, the “absolute immunity” claim would effectively shield presidents from legal accountability for criminal actions taken while in office. Under this reading, a president would even be entitled to order the assassination of his political opponent, as Trump’s legal team argued.
This campaign utilizes trusted voices to reach Americans who identify as conservative and may be uneasy or unfamiliar with arguments for presidential immunity. It spotlights messengers who have the most credibility with these audiences—namely, people who look and sound like them—to make a pro-democracy, pro-rule of law case that is firmly rooted in conservative values. These voices will be critical inputs as the Supreme Court approaches a decision on presidential immunity.
“Our constitutional system is predicated on legal accountability and equal justice under the law, even for presidents and past presidents,” said Sarah Longwell, Executive Director of Republicans for the Rule of Law. “Conservatives feel this in our bones: No man or woman is above the law. In this case, that means rejecting the ‘absolute immunity’ claim.”
Please contact Tony Franquiz at [email protected] to be connected with spokespeople from the Republicans for the Rule of Law—as well as the conservatives who appear in the ads—to discuss this campaign and the broader issue of presidential immunity.
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