Biden pledges to name progressives to the Supreme Court, suggesting he expects vacancies | CNN Politics
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President Joe Biden promised Black voters Wednesday that he would appoint progressives to the US Supreme Court if elected to a second term, suggesting he expects vacancies on the high court over the next four years.

President Joe Biden promised Black voters Wednesday that he would appoint progressives to the US Supreme Court if elected to a second term, suggesting he expects vacancies on the high court over the next four years.

“The next president, they’re going to be able to appoint a couple justices, and I’ll be damned — if in fact we’re able to change some of the justices when they retire and put in really progressive judges like we’ve always had, tell me that won’t change your life,” he said during a campaign rally in Philadelphia.

It was as explicit a warning as Biden could offer about the stakes of the upcoming election, and a clear reminder that some of the nine justices have entered their seventies.

Clarence Thomas is 75 and Samuel Alito is 74; both are conservative and appointed by Republican presidents. Sonia Sotomayor, a liberal who was nominated by President Barack Obama, turns 70 next month.

  • hark@lemmy.world
    895·
    6 months ago

    Actually progressive or “biden is the most progressive president in recent US history” progressive? I’ll take either over the alternative, but I’d love it if it was more than former than the latter.

    • FiniteBanjo@lemmy.today
      402·
      6 months ago

      If he promises to let Bernie Sanders pick them then I bet he’d gain whole percentage points in polls.

      • GiddyGap
        62·
        6 months ago

        Still a lot better than anything Trump would come up with.

    • Facebones@reddthat.com
      6·
      6 months ago

      They’d absolutely still be massive corporatists who think freedom dies if Americans can actually afford any of their basic needs.

    • retrospectology@lemmy.world
      72·
      6 months ago

      I’ll take anyone who isn’t a corporate careerist at this point. The people sitting on the supreme court shouldn’t be expecting to leverage it to make an exhorbitant amount of money.

    • Schadrach@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
      4·
      6 months ago

      At least he’s talking about the views of a justice he might pick, rather than what race and sex they’re going to be as though that’s the most important criteria.

      • retrospectology@lemmy.world
        42·
        6 months ago

        Yes, but he’s also shown himself willing to say anything to get support and votes. He had a lot of big progressive talk during his campaign when he was against Sanders, but then dropped that facade pretty much within the first few months and started giving out corporate handjobs.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
      21·
      6 months ago

      Actually progressive or “biden is the most progressive president in recent US history” progressive?

      He’s going to appoint Merrick Garland again.