Here’s what you need to know…
During a recent speech, Donald Trump expressed his desire to appoint more conservative Supreme Court Justices. Referring to the current composition of the Court, he stated, “Let’s have seven or eight or maybe even nine.” Trump’s comments come after a series of Supreme Court rulings that have drawn criticism from progressives. These rulings include decisions blocking President Biden’s student debt relief plan and ending affirmative action in college education. During his presidency, Trump was able to appoint three Supreme Court justices, significantly impacting the Court’s ideological makeup.
According to Newsweek, Trump is currently a candidate for the 2024 Republican Party nomination and is leading in the polls, surpassing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who holds the second position. If Trump were to be reelected, he would potentially have the opportunity to appoint additional justices in the event of retirements or deaths. Currently, the Supreme Court has six justices appointed by Republican presidents and three by Democratic presidents.
Trump discussed the recent Supreme Court rulings during a summit held by the Moms for Liberty campaign group in Philadelphia. Reflecting on his presidency, he remarked, “You know many presidents never get the opportunity to appoint a Supreme Court justice. I had three, they are gold. They are not happy about that. And maybe we’ll get three or four more. Can you imagine? Let’s have seven. Let’s have seven or eight or maybe even nine.”
A video clip of Trump’s speech, originally aired on the Right Side Broadcasting Network, was shared on Twitter by the ‘Acyn’ account, which frequently posts significant political moments. The video garnered significant attention, amassing over 820,000 views and receiving more than 450 retweets and quote tweets.
Throughout his presidency, Trump successfully appointed three Supreme Court justices: Neil Gorsuch in 2017, Brett Kavanaugh in 2018, and Amy Coney Barrett in 2020.
This past week, the Supreme Court handed down a conservative majority verdict, striking down President Biden’s student debt relief program. The program aimed to reduce the debt of most federal student loan borrowers by up to $10,000, with an additional $20,000 relief available for Pell Grant recipients from low-income households.
In response, President Biden accused the Supreme Court of misinterpreting the Constitution. However, he has not supported proposals from Democrats on the left to expand the number of justices on the Court to promote a liberal majority.
In addition to the student debt relief ruling, the Supreme Court also ruled against college affirmative action programs and granted website designers the right to refuse services to gay and lesbian couples.
In June 2022, the Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, which had guaranteed abortion access as a constitutional right for nearly 50 years. The ruling, with six votes in favor and three against, saw all of the justices appointed by Trump supporting the decision. This ruling sparked anger and protests among liberal activists.