Donald Trump’s Supreme Court misadventure
I’ve got something to say about the Supreme Court and Trump’s argument for complete immunity. I watched the arguments, how they played out, and what questions were asked. I do feel like the ultimate decision will be on our side, and I’d like to explain why I feel that way and why I disagree with pundits on one very important issue.
First off — I agree with Bill Palmer in that I doubt Trump will get his beloved blanket immunity. There are so many reasons for that. But I’d like to address the fears some have of the insanity of some of the more conservative Justices.
With Alito and Thomas, we know that both these men don’t care about Textualism. They make up their own rules as they go along. The fact remains that these two might side with Trump. I doubt the others will. One reason for that is simple. It’s perception. That is what I disagree with many pundits about.
Allow me to elaborate. Let’s just say that the Justices decided to give trump immunity. What would happen then? They’d be national jokes. No — worse than that. None of the Justices who cast their votes for Trump would ever in a million years be taken seriously again. It would ruin their lives.
They’d be looked on with derision, not just by the American people but by virtually everyone in the legal community. and their names would be punchlines. It would be something they’d never get over, no matter how hard they tried.
Now, I’m afraid I have to disagree with so many of the pundits who say the extreme court does not care how they are perceived. I VEHEMENTLY disagree. You’d better believe they do. How do I know this? Because they’ve SAID SO.
In the last few years, we’ve seen whining from Justices like we’ve never seen before. All of this whining has to do with how people perceive them. Coney Barrett has complained about it, Alito has complained about it, and actually most of the Justices have complained about it in some form or another.
The extreme court wants to be seen as the final arbitrators of the law, a brilliant and just group of people (ha!) who know the law better than anyone else. Were a scenario to play out where a judgment came down saying: “blanket immunity for Trump on everything!!’
This court, this group of people, would be reduced to pieces, bright and shiny walking jokes, something that would come to encompass their lives, personal and professional, as nobody could ever take them seriously again nor even look at them without laughing.
Their professional reputations — already at an all-time low — would not even exist. They would not be able to walk down the street without hearing the chimes of laughter directed at THEM. Blanket immunity by five Justices is not happening, not because these justices give a damn about us but because they do care — as always — more than anything — — about themselves.
