Summary

As Donald Trump prepares for a second term, progressive groups are concerned about Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s future on the Supreme Court.

Some activists hoped she would retire to allow President Biden to appoint a successor before Republicans take control of the Senate in January.

However, with Democrats’ narrow majority and opposition from Senator Joe Manchin, any replacement would face confirmation challenges.

Legal scholars and advocacy groups now view the window for Sotomayor’s retirement as closed and are focusing on confirming Biden’s remaining judicial nominees to lower federal courts before Republicans regain the Senate majority.

  • @[email protected]
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    fedilink
    6712 days ago

    Well the good news for progressives is you’ll likely see Thomas and maybe Alito retire during Trump’s next term. The bad news is they’ll be replaced by 35-year-old strict-constructionist Constitutional conservatives.

    • @WoahWoah
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      5612 days ago

      Yeah and if Sotomayer pulls a Ginsberg, suddenly Trump gets three picks, effectively forcing a radically right-wing court for at least the next 40 years.

      The real tragedy of Trump being elected is that this effectively ends any chance of reforming the court. Gen Z will basically be in their 60s before there is any chance of balancing the court let alone swinging it left.

    • @SupraMario
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      2612 days ago

      Not even constitutional conservatives… it’ll be theocratic authoritarians…

    • @disguy_ovahea
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      1212 days ago

      That won’t matter when the newly Republican controlled Congress expands and packs SCOTUS a la Project 2025.

    • @njm1314
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      812 days ago

      They won’t be strict constructionists. The Heritage Foundation doesn’t endorse strict constructionists. They endorse whatever the hell supports their individual needs of the individual moments. They have no guiding principles or morals.

      • @t_chalco
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        111 days ago

        Yes, but Trump has/had been taking legal marching orders from the Federalist Society which does support a strict read, no?

        • @njm1314
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          211 days ago

          No. We should all be aware of that by now. They claim to have a strict read, when it’s convenient for them. We’ve seen undeniable proof from this very Supreme Court, from Samuel Alito in particular, that they will completely abandon that principle whenever they feel like.