Supreme Court's Conservative Majority Enables Trump's Power Grab

In the six months since Chief Justice John Roberts swore in President Donald Trump, the Supreme Court has consistently sided with the president, allowing him to unilaterally dismantle critical government agencies and override lower court judges. The court's conservative majority, led by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, has repeatedly undercut the authority of US district court judges, who have been attempting to hold Trump accountable for his actions. The justices have refused to address key precedent cases, such as Humphrey's Executor v. United States, which protects independent board members from being fired without legitimate reason.

Key Takeaways:

• The Supreme Court's conservative majority has consistently sided with President Trump, allowing him to dismantle government agencies and override lower court judges.
• In a significant case touching on birthright citizenship, Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote that federal courts do not exercise general oversight of the Executive Branch, effectively limiting the power of lower court judges.
• In a recent decision, the conservative majority overrode US district and appellate court judges to let Trump fire Biden-appointed members of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, citing an earlier precedent as justification.
• The justices have never formally taken up the issue of reversing the Humphrey's Executor precedent, leaving it as a binding precedent that judges must follow.
• Dissenting justices, including Ketanji Brown Jackson and Elena Kagan, have condemned the conservative majority's actions, arguing that they enable Trump's lawlessness and undermine the rule of law.
• Justice Sonia Sotomayor has expressed her personal concerns about the impact of the court's decisions, stating that she sometimes returns to her office after a decision is issued and weeps.
• Conservative justices have directed their anger and angst toward their judicial colleagues, rather than toward the executive branch, with Justice Barrett criticizing Justice Jackson for her dissenting opinion.

Statistics:

• The Supreme Court has made five decisions in the past month paving the way for Trump to dismantle government agencies and override lower court judges (July 14, July 23, June 27, May, and earlier in the term).
• The conservative majority has consistently sided with Trump in 5 out of the 7 significant cases involving executive branch authority.
• The number of dissenting opinions from liberal justices has increased significantly, with Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issuing provocative dissents in several key cases.
• The court's conservative majority has mentioned Trump's name in their opinions only sparingly, but have consistently shown deference to his actions.

Sources:

• (CNN) — Ever since Chief Justice John Roberts swore in Donald Trump at the US Capitol January 20 - with the eight other Supreme Court justices looking on (note: original text does not provide date; CNN article date is July 2023)
• Humphrey's Executor v. United States (1935)
• CNN - Supreme Court enables Trump's power grab, allowing him to dismantle government agencies and override lower court judges
• CNN - Supreme Court allows Trump to fire Biden-appointed members of Consumer Product Safety Commission
• CNN - Supreme Court's conservative majority enables Trump's lawlessness, undermining the rule of law