The dominating Supreme Court, beyond regulation.
Will Donald Trump be prosecuted for actions committed during his presidency? The Supreme Court will soon reveal their decision. However, concerns about the impartiality of the judges are growing.
On the Republican Party's website, Trump greets visitors with a slightly upset expression on his face. "POLITICAL ALLIES" can be seen surrounding his photo in red, and the link "END THE WITCH HUNT" leads to the main donation page "WinRed," which asserts Trump's innocence, condemns "leftist tyranny," and declares "NEVER GIVE UP." Nevertheless, Trump has been convicted since the end of May, and the judge has announced his sentence for the hush money case for July.
If Trump loses the election in November, he could face a legal storm the following year. That is, unless the Supreme Court rules that Trump is untouchable. It has been discussing this topic for months, including whether they can declare a former president "royally immune." The court will announce its decision in July. As the date approaches, the public's debate on how impartial the nine judges are intensifies.
The Supreme Court is set to make several landmark rulings in the coming weeks, influencing politics and everyday life in the United States. The most critical issue: Can Trump be charged for things he did while in office? Additionally, other cases will establish precedents. Will the verdicts against the January 6, 2021, rioters remain valid? Can US presidents in the future trade loyalty for pardons? In the worst-case scenario, can they even order crimes and promise the culprits immunity in advance?
In the midst of the election campaign
On paper, conservative-leaning judges make up the majority of the Supreme Court with an 6:3 ratio. Two judges are accused of bias. There are flags of the January 6 rioters around the courthouse. Luxury trips paid for by a wealthy Republican. Recently, a journalist revealed a secret audio recording in which one of the judges spoke of a Christian battle between good and evil, with only one side able to win. As such, the Supreme Court has found itself in the middle of the campaign season, contrary to the separation of powers.
The Justice Department's prosecution, which is led by Democrats, charged Trump with two cases last year. One was for attempted election fraud and the uprising following his loss to Joe Biden in 2020. The other was for Trump's handling of classified documents at his private establishment, Mar-a-Lago. There is also an electoral fraud case ongoing at the state level in Georgia. All three rely on the Supreme Court's decision.
There has never been a situation like this before: A seemingly conservative majority, with three justices who owe their positions to Trump—Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett—are now deciding their own immunity. Additionally, two justices have personal lives that make their professional lives complex: Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas. Since the Supreme Court has taken a clear ideological stance, Americans have historically had little faith in it: Approval for its work has been at 40% since 2021.
"He flies first-class"
Thomas questioned a report from a year ago and has since admitted to certain aspects of it. In the past two decades, the Republican megadonor and real estate tycoon Harlan Crow financed Thomas and his wife's luxurious lifestyle. Thomas took private jets, sailed on a superyacht, and spent time with Crow at luxury resorts. A trip to Indonesia just before the pandemic cost half a million dollars.
Crow also paid Thomas' mother's house so she could continue to live there. Thomas' wife Virginia is a well-connected conservative lawyer and activist. On Facebook, she wrote "I LOVE MAGA People!!!!" and, according to a US media report, believes that America is "in existential danger" due to the "deep state," which included "transsexual fascists." Through her consulting firm, Virginia Thomas received money indirectly from an NGO that later argued before the Supreme Court against voting rights. The court overturned the protection of socially disadvantaged voters with a 5:4 decision.
In total, Thomas received gifts worth $2.4 million, according to an NGO analysis. It's difficult to see how he could afford this from his salary. He earns around $290,000 a year gross. Some are calling for Thomas' resignation. However, the Supreme Court of the United States is nearly unreachable. The president nominates, the Senate approves, and no one who has managed to secure one of the nine judge positions for life has ever been removed in the history of the United States. The only way this could happen is through impeachment proceedings in Congress, but the barriers are high.
"A NATION OF FAITH"
A year ago, a report prompted Thomas to enter explanation mode, and he has since accepted much of it. In the past two decades, Republican mega-donor and real estate mogul Harlan Crow has funded the lawyer's and his wife's luxurious lifestyle. Thomas flew in a private jet, relaxed on a superyacht, and spent time with Crow in high-end resorts; a trip to Indonesia before the pandemic cost $500,000.
Crow also paid the tuition for Thomas' foster son. He purchased Thomas' mother's house so she could continue to live there. Thomas' wife Virginia is a well-connected conservative lawyer and activist. On Facebook, she stated, "I LOVE MAGA People!!!!" According to a US media report, America is "in an existential crisis" due to the "deep state," which consisted of "transsexual fascists." Thomas' wife received money indirectly from an NGO that later argued before the Supreme Court against voting rights. The court overturned the protections for socially disadvantaged voters with a 5:4 decision.
In total, Thomas received gifts worth $2.4 million, as per an NGO audit. It is challenging to determine how he could afford this from his salary. He earns approximately $290,000 a year. Some are advocating for Thomas' resignation. However, the Supreme Court of the United States is almost impenetrable. The president appoints, the Senate confirms, and no one who has managed to garner one of the nine judge positions for life has ever been removed in the history of the United States. The only way this could be achieved is through impeachment proceedings by Congress, but the blockades are formidable.
Presently, Judge Samuel Alito, known for his right-wing views, is facing scrutiny. As Trump perpetuated fake news regarding a stolen election and aimed to cling to power, a reversed U.S. flag hung outside his residence. This same flag was utilized by his supporters and the insurgents during their attack on the Capitol in January 2021. Two years later, neighbors spotted the "Appeal to Heaven" flag, commonly used by right-wing groups, Christian nationalists, and Trump devotees. The judges were pondering whether to intervene in the dispute over Trump's immunity.
Confronted with allegations of partiality, Alito defended himself in a letter and shifted the blame onto his wife, Martha-Ann. He asserted that she had hung the flags, and he had only discovered them later, prompting an unsuccessful request for her to take them down. The aforementioned judge was responsible for writing the 2022 ruling that revoked the nationwide guarantee of reproductive rights. A New York Times columnist penned an article highlighting this: "(Alito) denies millions of women control over their own bodies, yet respects his wife's authority to decide the flags." Alito refuses to recuse himself from deliberations on Trump's immunity and the January 6th uprising.
The judge's sentiments towards the U.S. are not secretive. A journalist, identifying as a conservative Catholic, engaged him in a conversation and covertly recorded it. In reaction to the journalist's comment that there's no common ground in the polarized political scenario with the Democrats, Alito states in an audio snippet: "I concur, you're right. One side will emerge victorious." When the journalist continues with her assertion that passionate Christians should strive to transform the country into a religiously pious nation, the judge shares his equivalent view: "I concur with you, I concur with you." Martha-Ann, meantime, is planning retaliation over the flags. "Whoever trespasses against me will be answered back," she says. "It doesn't necessarily have to be now, but I'll find a way. You understand that."
Some Democrats in Congress are now endeavoring to impose a binding code of conduct onto the judges. As per the oversight committee chairman in Congress, only nine individuals, which are the judges, lack such regulations in U.S. institutions: "Paradoxically, it's these individuals who care deeply about the law." Democrats could utilize their most potent weapon against the Supreme Court: trimming their yearly budget. Nonetheless, this tactic would only be effective if they retained a Senate majority.
