Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who wrote a stinging dissent that was joined by the other liberal justices, warned that a future president could order US forces to kill a rival and get away with it.

“When he uses his official powers in any way, under the majority’s reasoning, he now will be insulated from criminal prosecution. Orders the Navy’s Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival? Immune,” Sotomayor wrote. “Organizes a military coup to hold onto power? Immune. Takes a bribe in exchange for a pardon? Immune. Immune, immune, immune.”