The Supreme Court recently wrapped up its term, but there’s still some uncertainty regarding its decisions. This pause, it seems, can be traced back to the legal maneuvers that former President Donald Trump employed during his second term.
In a remarkable span of just 23 weeks, legal representatives from the Trump administration submitted their 20th emergency appeal to the Supreme Court. This flurry of applications has coincided with the administration’s push to implement some of Trump’s more controversial policy initiatives. Interestingly, the Court, with a conservative 6-3 majority, has largely been supportive of these efforts.
A notable ruling came when a judge prevented the Trump administration from going after certain democratic law firms after lawyers raised concerns about potential shut-downs of their operations.
The Court’s backing has allowed Trump to push through various policies, including a ban on transgender individuals serving in the military, the cessation of significant educational grants, and the dismissal of federal prosecutors. Many of these emergency rulings are unsigned and reveal little about the Court’s reasoning.
One aspect of this situation, it seems, is that while the emergency applications do not provide long-term solutions, Trump has adeptly continued his “moving fast and breaking things” approach to expedite crucial demands through the Court’s so-called “shadow” dockets.
For some perspective, it’s worth noting that in just five months, Trump filed more emergency applications than his predecessors combined did in years. Joe Biden only submitted 19 throughout his time in office, while Barack Obama and George W. Bush collectively managed just eight during their respective terms.
Meanwhile, a federal judge recently ruled that the Trump administration must pay back certain USAID funds that were “illegally” restricted. This all plays into Trump’s strategy to push through the executive orders he announced on his first day, which have faced extensive legal challenges in various lower courts.
For the time being, these short-term successes have empowered Trump’s allies, who are touting these executive actions as a sign of victory. His approach allows him to advance important policy goals without getting mired in the slow processes of Congress.
