HUNT VALLEY, Md. (TNND) — President Donald Trump claimed Friday that Democrats are trying to add 12 justices to the Supreme Court.
He said in a social media post that Democrats could pack the court by ending the Senate filibuster, a 60-vote threshold to advance some legislation, if they win in upcoming elections.
“The Democrats number one policy push is the complete and total OBLITERATION of our great United States Supreme Court. They will do this on their very first day in office, through the simple Termination of the Filibuster, SHOULD THEY WIN THE UPCOMING ELECTIONS,” Trump wrote.
“The Radical Left Democrats are looking at 21 Justices, with immediate ascension. This would be terrible for our Country.”
The National News Desk couldn’t confirm whether Democrats are interested in adding justices to the Supreme Court. Neither Hakeem Jeffries, the top House Democrat, nor Chuck Schumer, the highest-ranking one in the Senate, has responded to a comment request.
The Supreme Court has had nine justices since 1869, when Congress and President Ulysses S. Grant approved the addition of two. Since then, there have been some efforts to significantly increase the size of the court, including by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. He proposed a bill that would have added a justice for each one who was over 70 years old, up to a total of 15 judges.
Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have tried to manipulate the court. Senator Mitch McConnell, who was the chamber’s top Republican from 2015 to 2021, refused to consider President Barack Obama’s candidate in 2016. Obama had nominated Merrick Garland in March of that year, but the Senate, controlled by Republicans, didn’t hold a hearing for the 10 months left in his term. Three months after Trump’s inauguration, the Senate confirmed one of his nominees.
Some Democrats have expressed support for growing the Supreme Court’s size in more recent years, like Pete Buttigieg, a 2020 presidential candidate who later served in the Biden administration. He said during a debate in 2019 that a 15-member court would help address its partisan issues.
“We can’t go on like this, where every single time there is a vacancy, we have this apocalyptic, ideological firefight over what to do next,” Buttigieg said.
Other Democrats have shied away from adding justices. President Joe Biden said during the 2019 debate that packing the court would harm its integrity.
“We add three justices, next time around we lose control, they add three justices. We begin to lose any credibility for the court has at all,” Biden explained.
Have questions, concerns or tips? Send them to Ray at rjlewis@sbgtv.com.
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