Joe Biden praised online for pledging to appoint progressive judges to the Supreme Court

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: President Joe Biden pledged to nominate progressives to the US Supreme Court should he secure a second term, indicating his anticipation of potential vacancies on the high court during the next four years.

According to CNN, during a campaign rally in Philadelphia on Wednesday, May 29, President Biden announced, “The next president, they’re going to be able to appoint a couple of 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 as we’ve always had, tell me that won’t change your life.”

This was a clear warning from the 81-year-old incumbent POTUS about the high stakes of the upcoming presidential election, and a reminder to his prospective voters that some among the nine Supreme Court justices are in their seventies.

What prompted Biden to make claims regarding appointing progressive judges?

The ages of Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas, 75, and Samuel Alito, 74, both conservatives appointed by Republican presidents, as well as liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor, 69, nominated by President Barack Obama and turning 70 next month, have sparked discussions about potential retirements.

Any retirements among these justices could present a significant opportunity for President Joe Biden, who has already appointed one justice to the Supreme Court, or his Republican counterpart, Donald Trump, who appointed three during his single term in office.

The ideological composition of the United States Supreme Court has become a defining factor in the American political sphere.

The current conservative majority, bolstered by Trump's three appointments, notably overturned the nationwide right to abortion established in Roe v Wade in 2022, making it a prominent issue in this year's election.

The court has also faced cases related to gun ownership rights, voter protections, and regulatory matters.

It is uncommon for justices to indicate their retirement intentions prior to announcing them officially through the court.

Additionally, US presidents typically exercise caution when discussing the potential retirement of Supreme Court justices who could be within the retirement age.

At the start of his term, President Biden conveyed to his aides that there would be no attempts to pressure Justice Stephen Breyer, then 83 years old, into retirement, despite many Democrats being eager for the political advantages a vacancy would offer.

This hands-off approach was rooted in President Biden's respect for Justice Breyer, whose confirmation he oversaw as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and out of concern that overt pressure might have unintended consequences.

While liberal groups not affiliated with the White House explicitly advocated for Breyer's retirement, the administration maintained a respectful stance.

Justice Breyer subsequently announced his retirement in January 2022, allowing President Biden to fulfill his campaign promise to nominate a Black woman to the court, Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Previous presidents have also adopted similar approaches. During his presidency, Donald Trump, through his White House counsel Don McGahn, did not explicitly push for the early retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy during his term.

Instead, he engaged the justice in discussions on lower court nominations to establish a sense of comfort with the nomination process.

President Barack Obama reportedly broached the retirement topic with Ruth Bader Ginsburg during a lunch in 2013. Despite being the oldest member of the court at the time, she did not retire during Obama's presidency.

She passed away while still serving on the bench in 2020, leading to Trump's prompt nomination of conservative Amy Coney Barrett to replace her.

As he seeks a return to the White House, Trump has emphasized his previous court nominations as a key achievement and has pledged to appoint additional conservative justices if reelected.

During his 2023 speech at the Moms for Liberty summit, the MAGA figurehead remarked, “Many presidents never get the opportunity to appoint a Supreme Court justice. I had three. They are gold.”

The 77-year-old GOP strongman went on to say, “Maybe we’ll get three or four more. Can you imagine?”

Internet abuzz as Biden pledges to appoint progressive judges to the Supreme Court

People online expressed their reactions and opinions following President Biden's promise to African-American voters that he would nominate progressives to the US Supreme Court if elected to a second term during Wednesday's Philadelphia campaign event.

One person commented, "Joe is up against a republican Supreme Court Justice machine. Trump appointed 3 judges to the court in his single 4 year term. Meanwhile, Biden has only appointed 1 in nearly the same length of time. Republicans bought our Supreme Court, and they are using it to serve their own ends." [sic]

Another person said, "THIS is why, no matter your feelings on Biden, you MUST VOTE BLUE."

Another person wrote, "Have to hold senate. But let’s be honest, Alito and Thomas will not retire. They will serve til they die." [sic]

One person claimed, "He needs to do it now. There's a very real chance Trump wins and then it's game over forever. It'll be too late then."

Another person remarked, "I’m not hopeful that there will be vacancies anytime soon. The conservative MAGA justices will live to be ancient. They’re like evil cockroaches. Evil people tend to thrive for a very very long time. Sotomayor will take the same route that RBG did, so surprise there."

Finally, this person argued, "These Republican traitors have got to go. All of them."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.