In a sharp critique, Rep. Jamie Raskin has condemned the behavior of certain Supreme Court justices during a recent oral argument.
Expressing concern over what he perceives as increasing partisanship, Raskin provocatively suggested relocating the Supreme Court to the Republican National Committee headquarters, as Breitebart reports.
During his appearance on MSNBC’s The ReidOut last Thursday, Raskin discussed the court's handling of a case involving immunity for former President Donald Trump. The congressman’s remarks highlighted his alarm over the questions posed by the justices, which he felt displayed a bias akin to party operatives.
Justice Samuel Alito specifically drew Raskin's ire with a question that contemplated whether prosecuting a president for criminal actions could prompt further crimes by a president seeking to avoid prosecution. Raskin argued that this line of questioning reveals a dangerous sympathy with a "narcissistic criminal worldview," suggesting it might undermine the fundamental principle that no one is above the law.
“They’re politicians who are not even subject to popular election, unlike me,” Raskin remarked, pointing out the justices' lifetime appointments and lack of electoral accountability. “They should move the Supreme Court over to the RNC headquarters because they’re acting like a bunch of partisan operatives.”
Raskin continued his critique by dissecting Alito's comments further, expressing astonishment and concern.
“The most astonishing thing for me today was Justice Alito’s question he actually asked whether holding the president criminally accountable for actual crimes committed whether murder or coup or you name it, whether holding them accountable would actually encourage them to stage more violent coups to stay in office to avoid prosecution, which buys completely into Donald Trump’s narcissistic criminal worldview. I mean, for all of American history, we’ve said presidents are subject to criminal prosecution if they commit crimes,” he explained.
He lamented what he sees as a shift in judicial perspective, suggesting it could lead to a dangerous capitulation to authoritarian tendencies.
“Now they say, well, if you’re really mean to Donald Trump, and you hold him accountable the way every other American citizen is accountable, then he’ll really overthrow the government. He’ll really bring out the big guns, and we can’t afford that. That is a kind of masochistic capitulationism to Donald Trump’s authoritarianism,” Raskin added.
The Maryland congressman did not mince words when he compared the justices to the partisan members of Congress he has worked with. “Now we’ve got a bunch of justices who are asking questions that indicate that they are as corrupted as members of Congress who I served with,” he stated, articulating a deep frustration with what he views as the erosion of judicial integrity.
This sentiment is at the heart of Raskin’s call for the Supreme Court to be metaphorically moved to the RNC, underscoring his belief that the court’s actions reflect partisan motivations rather than judicial impartiality.
The ongoing debate around the role of the judiciary and its independence is critical as the nation grapples with questions of justice and accountability at the highest levels. Raskin’s comments add a significant voice to the chorus of concerns about the direction of the Supreme Court amidst a highly polarized political environment.
In conclusion, Representative Jamie Raskin’s stark commentary on the Supreme Court follows serious questioning of its impartiality. By suggesting the relocation of the court to symbolically align with the Republican National Committee, Raskin underscores his concern over perceived partisanship which he believes undermines the foundational principles of American jurisprudence and governance.
