The Brian Lehrer Show What Last Week's Blockbuster Decisions Mean for SCOTUS
Jul 1, 2025
Ruth Marcus, a contributor to The New Yorker and author of Supreme Ambition, analyzes significant recent Supreme Court decisions. She highlights Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's dissenting perspective, especially on birthright citizenship, and the ideological divides within the court. The discussion covers the implications of executive power and judicial checks, raising concerns about the legitimacy of the court amid political pressures. They also debate potential judicial reforms and explore the evolving nature of constitutional interpretation in this charged environment.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Unprecedented Expansion of Executive Power
- The Supreme Court gave Trump a series of unprecedented victories expanding executive power while limiting challenges to it.
- These decisions cause real hardship despite the administration likely losing eventually.
Court Limits Lower Courts' Power
- The Court stripped lower courts of their power to issue nationwide injunctions blocking executive orders.
- This weakens judiciary's ability to check executive mischief during interim periods.
Justice Jackson's Lone Dissents
- Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson often writes solo dissents, uniquely calling out the conservative majority's impact.
- She warns the rulings inflict serious damage and pose an existential threat to the rule of law.
