Biden’s and Trump’s records show sharp differences in what types of judges they would choose. And the winner of the fall election could appoint more Supreme Court justices.

The Democratic-led Senate is poised to confirm President Joe Biden’s 200th federal judge Wednesday, a milestone that highlights a sharp contrast with his election rival, Republican former President Donald Trump, as they seek to shape the courts over the next four years.

It’s unclear whether Biden will catch up to the 234 judges Trump secured in his presidential term. But the winners of the presidency and the Senate majority will have the power to shape the courts for the next few years, and the two men have dramatically different criteria in choosing nominees.

Whoever occupies the White House in the next term could even pick one or more new Supreme Court justices, which could shift or entrench the current 6-3 conservative majority. By the time the winner is sworn in, conservative Justice Clarence Thomas will be 76 and conservative Justice Samuel Alito will be 74. The next oldest member of the court is liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who will be 70. Chief Justice John Roberts will turn 70 a week after the swearing-in.

  • blargerer@kbin.social
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    6 months ago

    I feel like you all like to invent people to pretend you’ve upset. I don’t really consider myself a lib, but in classic left fashion, people to the left of me will call me one. The only time I start downvoting stuff about Biden is when its clearly false or its people saying they aren’t going to vote (or worse, will vote for trump). Frankly I think most of those people are likely fake. You want to point out bad stuff about Biden, please do. You want to push him on issues, please do. You want to fight grassroots for better elected officials where you can get them in, please do. Just don’t lie and don’t decide to give up on the idea of governance all together (see accelerationism).

    • eltrain123@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      Agreed.

      …and where you are unhappy with Biden’s policy, look to see what Trump’s policy would be. If it’s not better, for instance the US policy on Israel/Gaza, don’t use that as a reason to not vote. Protest and let your elected officials know how you feel, vote in every election all the way down to school board levels, and try to change who is in all of the supporting roles in an administration if you are unhappy with them, but don’t abstain. Apathy is better for regressive candidates than progressive candidates.

      Government is a ‘big ship’; and, it takes a long time to turn the direction it’s moving. Republicans are far better at playing the long game; and, we are reaping what they’ve been sowing since the Southern Strategy started under the Nixon administration and was the driving force under the Reagan administration.

      If you don’t like what our government has become, you are working against a 40-50 year track record that put us here.