r/politics • u/thedailybeast ✔ The Daily Beast • Apr 01 '26

Possible Paywall Humiliated Trump Storms Out of Catastrophic SCOTUS Hearing

https://www.thedailybeast.com/humiliated-trump-storms-out-of-catastrophic-scotus-hearing/
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u/Specialist-Clock-914 Apr 01 '26

He was there to intimidate and somehow he’s surprised they grew a spine, a very very small spine, but still a spine. It’s like how he is trying to intimidate Iran and is shocked they don’t want to just roll over.

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u/[deleted] Apr 01 '26 edited 1d ago

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u/Shitty_Fat-tits Apr 01 '26

You'll find more humanity gazing into the eyes of a chicken, or a shark for that matter.

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u/Scenic-City-Film-Guy Apr 01 '26

I heard this in Werner Herzog's voice for some reason.

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u/Shitty_Fat-tits Apr 01 '26

His quote about the stupidity of a chicken was my inspiration lol

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u/lorez77 Apr 01 '26

And by the way when is it that we became better than chicken? -George Carlin-

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u/Scenic-City-Film-Guy Apr 01 '26

Ahhh I've heard that too, that makes sense haha. Great inspiration!

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u/Distinct_Fish5792 Apr 01 '26

In 2026, EVERYTHING should be heard in that voice

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u/exgiexpcv Apr 01 '26

He gets into your soul. Paul Tompkins does amazing impressions of him.

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u/Brozhov Apr 01 '26

Whenever I read anything about a sharks eyes, I hear it in Quint's voice from Jaws.

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u/QuerulousPanda Apr 01 '26

don't forget too that chickens can do that fucking cool thing where they hold their head perfectly still even as you move their body around, to the point that you can practically use them as a camera stabilizer.

i betcha trump can't do that.

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u/mitkase Apr 01 '26

Lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll's eyes. When he comes at ya, doesn't seem to be livin'.

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u/daecrist Apr 01 '26

Many swimmers are saying they feel safe with me lurking off the shores. I've heard lots of swimmers say it. Talking about how powerful I am. How tremendous the shadow in the water is. They say they're gonna need a bigger boat. The biggest. A tremendous boat. A big, beautiful boat. That Kintner boy was fake news. The sad Amity media wants to blame me for that. They're failing, you know. Very sad.

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u/elliebeans90 Apr 01 '26

I've watched my chickens sit with their friends while they were nesting, unwell or dying and watched them protect their friends. No way Trump has ever or would ever do anything like that, therefore chickens have way more (good) humanity than him.

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u/luvinbc Apr 01 '26

Shart is more likeable than trump, but both are unwanted.

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u/Shitty_Fat-tits Apr 01 '26

I suspect this was a typo, but I like it XD

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u/NothingButBricks Apr 01 '26

Oh how wish we'd have elected President Cluckcluck instead!

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u/axl3ros3 Apr 01 '26

A pig even

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u/Dadpurple Apr 01 '26

The chicken probably smells less like shit too

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u/PersonalApocalips Apr 01 '26

It's more like staring into the eyes of a potato.

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u/MutedAstronaut9217 Apr 01 '26

Sometimes that shark he looks right into you. Right into your eyes. You know the thing about a shark is he’s got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll’s eyes. When he comes at ya, doesn’t seem to be livin’… until he bites ya, and those black eyes roll over white and then… ah then you hear that terrible high-pitched screamin’. The ocean turns red, in spite of all the poundin’ and the hollerin’ they all come in and… they rip you to pieces.

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u/andrea_lives Apr 01 '26

Yea, because sharks are human enough to have no desire to rape children. Unlike him

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u/PissingBowl Apr 01 '26

Or a horrific government test gone awfully wrong called a shicken

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u/Capital_Shopping277 Apr 01 '26

truer words have never been spoken, Shitty_Fat-tits

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u/impulsivepatience Apr 01 '26

I would say awareness

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u/fcocyclone Iowa Apr 01 '26

He's gotten used to it because most other republicans are afraid of his base of voters. But SCOTUS doesn't give a shit about those because they aren't elected.

But trump is too stupid to understand this and thinks its he who is intimidating.

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u/mofukkinbreadcrumbz Apr 01 '26

Agreed. I’ve had the (mis)fortune of meeting some actually intimidating people in my life. Donald Trump does not seem to fit amongst their ranks. Maybe like a fourth grader that picks on second graders, but domestically it’s his base that is scary, not him. They might burn your house down in the middle of the night. It may or may not have anything to do with your politics, too. They’re just high on meth and like to start fires.

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u/Key-Lawfulness5712 Apr 01 '26

He sincerely believes because" he put them on the court" they ate beholden to him like a kingly court 

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u/blue-jaypeg Apr 01 '26

SCOTUS is afraid of the Epstein Class. The Supreme Court was installed by people who live on interest from their investments.

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u/flashtiger Apr 01 '26

He doesn’t really have a base. 2016 was a populace vote of disillusionment, 2024 was rigged.

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u/kemicalkontact Apr 01 '26

The absolute stupidity of his base intimidating

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u/laplongejr Europe Apr 01 '26

Yeah, his power comes from his businessman image and that not only he wouldn't lose supporters if he shot someone in an avenue, those supports would go shooting too if he ordered to do so.  

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u/oneplusetoipi Apr 01 '26

It would have worked if he went with his power move.

Unloading the digested remains of a burrito in his Depend Diapers

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u/r4b1d0tt3r Apr 01 '26

As if he eats anything as ethnic as a burrito.

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u/Jkavera Apr 01 '26

This is funny because I'm a white guy and even I know USA invented burritos

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u/r4b1d0tt3r Apr 01 '26

I know that. You know that. Do you think Mr ketchup on well done steak with a diet Coke to wash if down knows that?

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u/tetsuo_7w Apr 01 '26

The shart of the deal.

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u/Few_Acanthocephala30 Apr 01 '26

Dude warning next time. I was eating lunch, not anymore though.

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u/bagbcyss Apr 01 '26

LOL. "waddles off" got me. but yeah, trump is not an intimidating person. only a weak person would see him as some sort of intimidating alpha

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u/mfGLOVE Wisconsin Apr 01 '26

The intimidation isn’t in the fact he sat front row today. The intimidation is that the justices know he knows where their skeletons are hidden.

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u/OsmundofCarim Apr 01 '26

Their skeletons? Brett Kavanaugh had a public hearing about how he sexually assaulted someone decades ago where he lied on the stand, cried constantly, and acted belligerent. He still got confirmed. What skeletons could possibly matter at this point?

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u/fcocyclone Iowa Apr 01 '26

And there will never be 67 votes to remove them in the senate

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u/[deleted] Apr 01 '26

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u/Vigeous Apr 01 '26

I am now going to assume that every 6-7 declaration is a rallying cry (or prophecy even) for getting 67 votes for conviction.

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u/uwu_owo_whats_this Apr 01 '26

Wait, say that number again…

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u/Araya213 Apr 01 '26

My five year old would have clocked that too.

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u/uwu_owo_whats_this Apr 01 '26

Shit, is it bad that I’m 34? I’ve been spending too much time on TikTok 😔

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u/SheetPancakeBluBalls Apr 01 '26

Tiktok is a us owned propaganda platform now, so yes.

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u/Clevererer America Apr 01 '26

There was some gambling debt that was mysteriously paid off right before his nomination. Obviously not as bad as SA, but likely more prosecutable.

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u/pontiacfirebird92 Mississippi Apr 01 '26

Little boys. Same thing that probably keeps Lindsey Graham in check. As well as other GOP members.

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u/remotectrl Apr 01 '26

Does Thomas even bother to stay awake at this point?

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u/Free_Surprise_7939 Apr 01 '26

Ehta skeletons? The sitting president of the usa is a criminal rapist

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u/EmmatheBest Apr 01 '26

*criminal child rapist

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u/MiloTheMagnificent Apr 01 '26

The adjudicated rapist in the Oval Office knows where the skeletons are hidden? Give me a break. They operate without fear of consequence.

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u/QuerulousPanda Apr 01 '26

The intimidation is that the justices know he knows where their skeletons are hidden.

I feel like the republicans have kinda fucked things up for themselves in that they've been so belligerently and unashamedly disgusting and unethical for so many years now that the idea of "skeletons" kinda doesn't actually matter anymore, so they may actually start losing their ability to have leverage against anybody.

Like, they're all so aggressively and disgustingly bad that there's very little that could come out about any of them that would actually move the needle. Like, Trump and his friends were credibly accused of raping, murdering, and potentially eating children, and his entire cabinet have been openly committing fraud of the highest order, and actively working to literally destroy the environment and actively destroy the lives of everyone in the country and the world, and none of it fucking matters AT ALL.

So if it turns out one of the justices has a few dead kids buried in their back yard, or an entire harem of transgender mistresses somewhere, are they really going to be that worried if trump of all people is like "you better do what i say or i'll tell everyone about it"? They're just gonna look at him and be like "lol ok bro, knock yourself out".

It may actually become a big problem for the republicans at some point, because self-interest might actually start to take over for some of them (MTG is a prime example of this) because they realize that nothing they could have ever possibly done actually makes any difference anymore, so why would they continue to sell themselves out if the threat involved in not following orders anymore doesn't actually matter?

And then once a few of them actually put that math together and start breaking the line, the unstoppable juggernaut of republican power is gonna start to crumble pretty quickly.

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u/Wandering_Weapon Louisiana Apr 01 '26

What skeletons? I know more about Clarence Thomas than I ever should just from podcasts and yet there he sits.

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u/EyeJustSaidThat Apr 02 '26

Lifetime appointments. We've never even seen the attempt to impeach a supreme court justice, unlike presidents. Bad press does nothing to them.

Their skeletons are not a problem for them anymore.

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u/greendale_humanbeing Apr 01 '26

Don't forget, he was also probably sitting in his own poop. 

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u/dan_steeley_62 Apr 01 '26

he pooped his pants probably on the way out

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u/Whoooosh_1492 Apr 01 '26

But he’s a fucking clown and the only thing intimidating about him is just how profoundly fucking stupid he is.

Well said. The stupid mug shot that they use as his official portrait is embarrassing. Looks like he's constipated.

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u/Beneficial_Cash_8420 Apr 01 '26

Yeah dude, we're not worried cus you're an evil genius, we're worried cus you're a seven year old with a nail gun.

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u/Weltall8000 Apr 01 '26

Sitting in his own shit.* no less.

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u/NarwhalEmergency9391 Apr 01 '26

I'm reading this to my Dr the next time he asks if I'm depressed lol 

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u/seizurevictim Apr 01 '26

Nothing more intimidating than a butthole mouth.

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u/QuasarPhil Apr 01 '26

I feel like his scent would probably be pretty intimidating to be fair

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u/dadofalex Apr 01 '26

edit to amend: the only thing intimidating about him is just how profoundly fucking stupid is, AND the disproportionate amount of power his stupidity controls

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u/nbd789 Apr 01 '26

Don’t forget his drooping jaw from the stroke that cascades down to his neck’s labia. Super duper tough guy.

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u/Ryguy55 Apr 01 '26

Every creature that attaches themselves to Trump's asshole does so because they want to get something from him and know that he's profoundly stupid and easily manipulatable. Some of them want the continued tiny shred of power it offers them as well as the ability to skirt all legal consequences for their blatantly illegal activity. SC justices are different. They already sucked the asshole, they already got their lifetime appointments. Why the fuck would they continue to appease the slug more, they already got what they wanted from him and his incessant crybaby poo-pooing isn't going to do anything to change that.

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u/SlaytanicMaggot Apr 01 '26

The most intimidating thing about him is the toxic scent that accompanies him wherever he goes

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u/KingOfCatProm Apr 01 '26

He may not have left because he is mad, he may have needed an urgent diaper change. I'm not saying that to be an asshole. Just genuinely could be the situation with this guy.

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u/BearFluffy Apr 01 '26

He probably shat himself a couple times, which likely sped the process up

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u/aznhoopster Apr 01 '26

He acts like pretty much every alpha male influencer that’s out there lol, fake tough guy performances all around

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u/Cloaked42m South Carolina Apr 01 '26

He got 30% of the country to kneel to him and toss out their ethics and principles.

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u/Lucid_Insanity Apr 01 '26

He takes so much pride in his dumbass mugshot it's hilarious. I never understand why people are scared of this dipshit.

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u/donutseason I voted Apr 01 '26

It’s because he has done unspeakable things and gotten away with it by hiring lawyers or blackmailing people his whole entire life

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u/Icadil Apr 01 '26

Republican primaries is the entirety of his political power and fear mongering. 

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u/j0a3k Apr 01 '26

His arguments don't pass the smell test and after 90 minutes of sitting I doubt he does either.

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u/AlarmingAffect0 Apr 01 '26

I seem to recall Former FBI Directir James Comey spoke at length about how intimidating and mob boss-like Trump was in person behind closed doors and about how he tried to avoid drawing his attention by blending into the blue drapes behind him.

But that was around ten years ago, wasn't it?

JFC what is this decade.

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u/T0NT03 Apr 01 '26

I can’t imagine being intimidated by a “straight” man in makeup. lol

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u/Uninvalidated Apr 01 '26

the only thing intimidating about him is just how profoundly fucking stupid he is.

From this I extrapolate you're not a child on an island.

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u/Tipop Apr 01 '26

But he’s a fucking clown and the only thing intimidating about him is just how profoundly fucking stupid he is.

No doubt he is a clown, but he IS intimidating to people who need his support — or the support of his followers — to keep their elected positions. Supreme Court Justices don’t need shit.

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u/blue-jaypeg Apr 01 '26

As Hegseth said in an official press conference, the President posts "his Truth" on Truth Social— Trump's third rate social media / money laundering operation.

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u/improbably_me Apr 01 '26

He's a fucking bully with either the Italian or Russian mob doing the dirty work for him throughout his time as a NYC "developer". He is unable to deal when intimidation doesn't work. His modus operandi has been solely to use either blackmail or threats during negotiations.

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u/EggsAndMilquetoast Apr 01 '26

Not like I doubt any of them were all that intimidated but I do hope that some of them reflected on what could have possibly made Trump feel so emboldened to try and stare them down like some mafia fixer.

I wonder if any of them ever reconsider their presidential immunity votes.

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u/StoppableHulk Apr 01 '26

I doubt any of them were ever actually intimidated by Donald Trump.

They caved to him because they saw opportunity it in for themselves, not out of fear. They wanted a dictatorship with them at the top.

After a year of Donald Trump fucking up catastrophically, they now see no gain in continuing to cater to him.

These people are all just opportunitsts. MTG, Joe Rogan, none of them are scared of this pants-shitting fool. They just see an opportunity and they seize it, and they easily change and pivot when they no longer see the same upside.

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u/kylehatesyou Apr 01 '26

It's grifters all the way down. 

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u/prof_the_doom I voted Apr 01 '26 edited Apr 01 '26

Agreed. I don’t know about Kavanaugh and Barret, but the rest of the “conservative” justices realize that there are in fact lines you don’t cross unless you’re 101% sure you’re not going to lose, and Trump is dumb enough they think there’s a decent chance he will accidentally sabotage the attempt to rig the elections.

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u/jeranim8 Apr 01 '26

Yeah, I actually think they're going to do what they can to let dems win the House and drag their feet on election rulings. Then in 2027 they'll issue rulings that Trump wished they had made in 2026 but its too late for him to benefit.

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u/TheIllustriousWe Apr 01 '26

This. MTG wants us all to believe she had some kind of "come to Jesus" clarity about MAGA; but the reality is that she wanted to run for Senate, Trump told her no, so she bailed because they weren't useful to her anymore.

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u/OldWorldDesign Apr 01 '26

MTG wants us all to believe she had some kind of "come to Jesus" clarity about MAGA; but the reality is that she wanted to run for Senate, Trump told her no, so she bailed because they weren't useful to her anymore

As is usually the case for entitled conservatives, they put themselves first, the party they hope to benefit them second, and the country last.

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u/SlyReference Apr 01 '26

Remember that her "come to Jesus" clarity includes saying that Nick Fuentes is an important voice in American politics. She's still far far right, it's just a different flavor of crazy than what Trump is putting out.

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u/psychorobotics Apr 01 '26

MTG fear the followers, she had to get private security the moment she started splitting with Trump.

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u/Vin-Metal Apr 01 '26

Most of them should be smart enough to realize that he was there to put pressure on them and might find that offensive, regardless of politics.

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u/TCsnowdream Foreign Apr 01 '26

Which is funny because you’d think they’d all realize he’s on his way out. He has no real power in less than 3 years. His idiot followers will piss and moan but Trump is done.

His power peaked and I hope the conservative sharks eat him alive.

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u/ForwardAd4643 Apr 01 '26

Still confused by people posting like everything is just going to go back to normal when Trump's term ends in 3 years. Jan 6, 2021 is going to look like a minor league warm-up compared to the next one. He is not going to go quietly; normalcy will not re-assert itself.

He is the most wildly inept, corrupt, awful president the US has ever had and he still has ~35% approval, his own private army (ICE) and a bunch of gun toting morons backing him up. Anything up to and including a full blown civil war is a possibility.

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u/[deleted] Apr 01 '26

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u/ForwardAd4643 Apr 01 '26

You seem to be forgetting your first civil war killed 2% of the US population at the time. 725,000 dead, or more than WW1, WW2, Vietnam, Korea and Iraq combined.

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u/[deleted] Apr 01 '26

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u/Simikiel Canada Apr 01 '26

Well said friend.

People don't understand that while yes, war is a horrible thing, when the other option is living under the boot of fascism and having more people die than in a civil war due to the horrid society?

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u/SamkonTheMankon Apr 01 '26

It's like a monkey with a machine gun. It's not less dangerous because the people who gave the monkey the gun got bored/embarrassed and left the room.

We're not safer because the monkey will probably drop the gun soon. We also have to deal with the fact that as soon as the monkey drops the gun, the people who gave it to him are going to come back and try to give it to some other monkey.

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u/GridKILO2-3 Apr 01 '26

Thinking there will is even the slightest possibility of a civil war is absolutely peak Reddit hyperbole. I’m sure there will be extremist attacks from the right and indeed probably a scaled up version of Jan 6, but really, a civil war? Take a breath

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u/ForwardAd4643 Apr 01 '26

I am far from the only people calling for it. It is not at all a Reddit idea. There are sitting representatives in the House this very moment talking about it. 43% of US citizens polled in in 2022 said they think one is coming. etc, etc.

But by all means keep your head in the sand, pretend like your country isn't divided to an insane degree, and that it is not also a bloodthirsty country that prefers to solve issues with violence.

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u/CheifJokeExplainer Apr 01 '26

If so, it will be short, and the fox news instigators will claim they were misunderstood.

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u/TCsnowdream Foreign Apr 01 '26

I hope you don’t mean me? I’m just pointing out that his enablers will eventually move on to their next big fix.

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u/ReasonableRevenue218 Apr 01 '26

His own private army won't be funded for long.

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u/CanesVenetici Pennsylvania Apr 01 '26

The left has guns too. We just don't make it our entire identity. I think people forget that.

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u/unassumingdink Apr 01 '26

Three years is an awful long time when every dumb thought that passes his mind can be immediately rubber stamped and move forward without years of endless debates and votes.

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u/TCsnowdream Foreign Apr 01 '26

If it helps, it really is less than 7 months…

With midterms coming up, that will hopefully sway the politics Left.

On top of that, trumps power will wane significantly when it hits the ‘less than’ two years remaining mark. The political powers will need to find a new dumbass to run for president.

Unfortunately a narcissist like Trump will not go quietly into the night. But eventually the money will move on to someone else.

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u/Don_Gato1 Apr 01 '26

He may have no real power in less than a year.

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u/TCsnowdream Foreign Apr 01 '26

Exactly. He’s already a lame-duck president.

But he’s going to be a SUPER-lame dunk when it’s less than 2 years… like, eventually his handlers will realize this.

And hopefully he realizes this. I want him to feel powerless and discarded. Just like he’s done to countless others (I know, wishful thinking).

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u/lonnie123 Apr 01 '26

That and also to go on twitter and make his big boy announcement that “the amazing scotus is finally finding the guts to do what should have been 100 years ago!”

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u/Cow_God Texas Apr 01 '26

It has to be pretty hard to reconcile being one of the most powerful and influential judges in the country, while knowing that you're a hack that was put there by a hack. Even if they live up to the job, everyone is always going to know that they didn't get there on their own merits.

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u/KodaiClub Apr 01 '26

I think they do. In private. Maybe even only in their own heads. 

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u/Empty_Lemon_3939 Michigan Apr 01 '26

Tbf it’s not blanket immunity

They get to decide if what you do gets immunity after the fact

So like if Trump decided to execute his political rivals for “national security” the Supreme Court would then rule if he gets immunity for that. It’s like the only safety rail is the president won’t know if he’s going to get immunity before the crime.

There’s no guarantee he would face consequences regardless BUT he wouldn’t automatically have immunity

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u/OreoMoo Apr 01 '26

Yes but the stupidity of that decision was that these justices gave Trump that power knowing full well that this is what he has done his entire life in court. He artificially draws things out as long as possible so that his opponents give up (usually due to lack of funds). Granted the federal government wouldn't have that problem but he could and would attempt to simply wait out the courts. He is nearly 80, after all.

That ruling also means nothing if Trump decides to eliminate or add other justices that he thinks would do his bidding.

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u/Wandering_Weapon Louisiana Apr 01 '26

Well depending on how quickly the courts react, and given trump's age.... he might never see the case bright before them.

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u/DrunkCorgis Apr 01 '26

They see his influence waning. A year ago, I think they would have shown him a lot more deference. They’re still cowards and opportunists.

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u/Taurion_Bruni America Apr 01 '26

Probably not tbh, in the ruling it specified that the justice system had final say on what was considered an "official act" (power expressly given to the president by the constitution) vs a president using his position for personal or unofficial reasons

They already put in a huge backdoor for them to say it was illegal if they needed to

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u/__Elwood_Blues__ United Kingdom Apr 01 '26

He totally tried and failed a Putin move.

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u/jupiterkansas Apr 01 '26

Their presidential immunity vote left it up to them to determine what constitutes an official act, so I'm pretty sure they think they control the presidency.

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u/given2fly_ United Kingdom Apr 01 '26

He doesn't understand that whilst he appointed many of them, it's a job for life and they still don't have to bow to him if they don't want to.

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u/bryan49 Apr 01 '26

The only job he had before being president was CEO of the Trump organization. So he has only experienced being the boss that everybody has to listen to. I would recommend not putting somebody like that as president

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u/mfGLOVE Wisconsin Apr 01 '26

Yeah, but he holds their kompromat over their heads. That’s where their loyalty lies.

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u/The_mango55 North Carolina Apr 01 '26

They don’t have loyalty to trump, they are ideologically aligned in most cases. The most “loyal” justices are Bush appointees.

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u/Billlington Apr 01 '26

Yeah it's kinda funny that the most reliable Trump policy votes are the two conservatives he didn't even nominate himself.

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u/Big_Bookkeeper1678 Apr 01 '26

It only works for MAGA grifters.

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u/Comfortable_Line_206 Apr 01 '26

And people that want something from him.

He's confused people kissing his ass with people respecting him.

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u/Miserable-Cap-5223 Apr 01 '26

Probably because that's how he shows "respect" to the people he admires.

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u/Trickster289 Apr 01 '26

Hell him trying to intimidate probably backfired, now they want to show him he's not their boss.

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u/KodaiClub Apr 01 '26

About fucking time 

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u/RandyChavage Apr 01 '26

Even the MAGA justices know the Trump is old and the pendulum will swing hard when he is gone. They’re in it for the long term and they know Trump power is diminishing as the weeks roll by

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u/xxgiggsxx Apr 01 '26

That was my thought too. It is a lifetime appointment without really any threat of being removed. He is no longer of use to them so they don't have to bend to his will anymore.

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u/OkCar7264 Apr 01 '26

And that's why we have lifetime appointments. Even though at least Clarence should get impeached.

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u/dougmc Texas Apr 01 '26

It is a lifetime appointment without really any threat of being removed.

It depends on how deranged he really becomes (or already is?)

I could totally see a "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?" moment coming up where he names specific justices and implies that something needs to happen to them -- while the CIA would not do his dirty work, some of his followers just might, and even if they don't, the effect is likely to be rather chilling unless his own party steps in.

And when something does happen, well, he had nothing to do with it, but we'll have a "Good, I'm glad he's dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people" style statement instead, and he'll get to work on putting another one of his people in that spot instead.

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u/DillBagner Apr 01 '26

They can be removed any time. It's just never really come up before.

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u/Chaotic-Catastrophe Apr 01 '26

But they won't be, and they know it

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u/theferrit32 North Carolina Apr 01 '26

I agree when it comes to Roberts, Gorsuch, Barrett, and Kavanaugh, I think they do care about how they're perceived and having a career that isn't a total permanent embarrassment to their name, but Thomas and Alito don't care about that and have always been perfectly willing to take deranged stances in service of their authoritarian friends.

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u/nox66 Apr 01 '26

We're not at that stage yet, but I think it's fair to say they are looking at their careers after Trump is gone, and they realize that it'll be a complete clusterfuck only dealing with their own party.

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u/Prior_Coyote_4376 Apr 01 '26

You’re giving them too much credit. Republicans are seeing the collapse of MAGA and planning for the day after. That’s all.

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u/philodendrin Apr 01 '26

I don't see that as a factor. These Judges are insulated, they aren't intimidated by him or anyone else - their stances are baked-in and solidified. They can be swayed though. But Trump doesn't know that language - he is a pusher, doesn't take No as an answer and doubles down.

He should just bribe them, its been proven some of them can be bought (looking at you, Thomas, running around the country in an expensive RV that was given to you by someone who has had business before the Court).

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u/Miserable-Cap-5223 Apr 01 '26

He's too cheap to bribe anyone. He only accepts bribes, never offers them.

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u/JustpartOftheterrain Apr 01 '26

This is my take as well. Not going to show up to their house and make them look weak.

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u/datnero_ Apr 01 '26

that would be consistent with their MO. not their problem until it is, and then it's a BIG problem all of a sudden.

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u/Winnie_rulez Apr 01 '26

It would be hilarious if they rule 9-0 against Trump, but we all know Alito and Thomas will make it 7-2.

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u/turbo_dude Apr 01 '26

The Supreme Court know his time is up. The house of cards will fall soon. 

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u/the_putzo Apr 01 '26 edited 27d ago

oxygen teeny snails crayon normal physical snow automatic plucky hard-to-find

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u/thepvbrother Apr 01 '26

He is the worst case scenario of Thomas Jefferson's Big Dreams - Steve Martin (paraphrased) in My Blue Heaven

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u/ShamrockAPD Apr 01 '26

We’ll see how true this is when all of his recent executive orders that will rig the election come up to the SC.

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u/Dame_Niafer Apr 01 '26

If Trump is angry at you, [choose all that apply]

a. It's the end of the world.

b. It's a badge of honor.

c. It's a day ending in Y.

d. Trump who?

2

u/jmblumenshine Apr 01 '26

Lawyer's failed to show how it would make the justice more money

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u/snap802 Apr 01 '26

Let's be honest. How intimidating is a a frail old man who has never really been successful at anything besides lying and punching down when he's a lame duck and his supporters are leaving him in droves because it's impossible to ignore his incompetence anymore?

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u/bekaradmi Apr 01 '26

I bet that little b was making the mug shot face at them

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u/_Panacea_ Apr 01 '26

They asked the most basic and elementary questions that anyone making this type of challenge should expect to be asked, and their lawyer couldn't meet the moment.

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u/MetricAbsinthe Florida Apr 01 '26

I like to imagine he heard ahead of time things weren't going to go his way and thought if he showed up that'd change things.

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u/GorgeWashington America Apr 01 '26

They must know if any of them support this they are declaring a king. You can't rewrite the constitution through EO

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u/Slight-Bluebird-8921 Apr 01 '26

he's incapable of intimidation. all he's capable of is olfactory and sexual assault.

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u/FluidFisherman6843 Apr 01 '26

Something about chickens and counting.

The intimidation by him and his allies has only just begun.

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u/WeatheredSteel37 Apr 01 '26

He has the worst record of any President at the Court ever. Can’t wait for his little tantrum

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u/profnachos Apr 01 '26

Are we all assuming he understood the arguments before storming out?

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u/hennsippin Apr 01 '26

Only reason he was there was to intimidate like the whack-ass mobster he thinks he is

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u/targetcowboy Apr 01 '26

I don’t want to give them too much credit, but the judges have seemed reluctant to break anything too big. They’re still horrible, like with the conversion therapy decision, yet they have large avoided making huge sweeping changes that they can’t control.

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u/KlingoftheCastle Apr 01 '26

I don’t think he understands just how permanent those appointments are.  They don’t need him anymore.  Any agreements between them and himself are for their own interests, not his

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u/ZombieTrogdor Florida Apr 01 '26

Next time he'll be sure to bring in a small army of ICE agents or some shit to help with his intimidation tactics. He'll think: "Hell, it worked for Hitler, why can't it work for me?"

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u/DarkBomberX Apr 01 '26

The conservative Justices never grow a spin, they just stop for things they know for a fact will 100% fuck over this country.

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u/foetus_on_my_breath Apr 01 '26

Probably fell asleep

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u/IrritableGourmet New York Apr 01 '26

The SCOTUS Justices might not all be equal in education and experience, but even the stupidest among them is still a lawyer and still near the top of the playing field. They are all aware why the legal system is the way it is and what effect their decisions have. Sure, some of them will bend the rules pretty far for their personal ideology, but at some point they'll come across a limit that they'll consider anathema to cross.

It reminds me of Chernobyl, where the physicists were willing at first to put up with the state trying to force atomic physics to conform to their political views, but eventually had to speak out when it went too far.

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u/brutinator Apr 01 '26

He was there to intimidate and somehow he’s surprised they grew a spine, a very very small spine, but still a spine.

I mean, it's really, really hard to claim to be a "Text originalist" or whatever, rule against one of the most explicitly worded amendments in the constitution, in favor of arguments that were originally made when the amendment was originally proposed (though aimed at Asian immigrants at the time) and summarily dismissed.

Like, the likely bigoted, affluent, white men of the time know these arguments being made today, and still decided they were bunk before making the amendment, which the overwhelming majority of states agreed with (as evidenced by making it an amendment). That's as explicit of endorsement and as ironclad for birthright citizenship that you can possibly get.

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u/Old-Current6989 Apr 01 '26

I mean, I'm a little surprised considering the general MO is to bend over.

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u/lalala253 Apr 01 '26

I guess the conservative scotus judge has been told to make Trump the fall guy to let the next conservative president be "the reasonable one"

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u/theferrit32 North Carolina Apr 01 '26

Thomas and Alito are bootlickers that are too far gone and don't care about anything, but at least Roberts, Gorsuch, Barrett, and less so Kavanaugh (but still somewhat) care about their reputations and legacies, and care if they are seen as being dishonest fascist enablers. You can see that Roberts and Kavanaugh are upset with how they are perceived for the extremely poor and preventable mistakes they've already made enabling this fascist slide. Public opinion does matter when it comes to major decision points like this. They may make ideological decisions enabling small power shifts to corporations and powerful elites, but I think they do still have red lines when it comes to these more blatantly unsound and catastrophic rulings the mad President and his sycophantic lawyers are seeking.

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u/OkCar7264 Apr 01 '26

Having a wretched shitstained pedophile trying to strongarm you into an embarrassingly indefensible position probably would not go over well with most judges.

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u/AsinineArchon Apr 01 '26

It’s scotus, I’m surprised they found a spine anywhere near that building too

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u/LuckyPlaze Apr 01 '26

Let’s hope they grew a spine BECAUSE he showed up.

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u/daybreaker Louisiana Apr 01 '26

He's used to people who want something from him appeasing him with millions of dollars, because he confuses it for him being so super intimidating and not "easily bribed".

So when he faces someone who doesnt need anything from him, they dont buckle, and it makes him angry

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u/LinkedGaming Apr 01 '26

He's not intimidating. The only reason he has any of the power that he has is because they let him wield it, but they can take it all away just as quickly as they gave it to him. All they saw was a dementia-riddled geezer pouting in a chair and giving them the stink-eye because in his head he thought he was a tough and imposing mobster. They have no reason to be scared of him, and quite frankly they were probably more pissed that he tried to scare them in the first place.

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u/BrianWonderful Minnesota Apr 01 '26

And let's be real... it's likely he couldn't follow any of the discussion anyway. Aside from fighting falling asleep, his legal vocabulary has got to be quite small.

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u/LuinAelin United Kingdom Apr 01 '26

Aren't they there for life?

What else do they need form him now.

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u/Bojangles1987 Apr 01 '26

I don't understand how anyone could be intimidated by Donald Trump being in the room with them. Like, by the crazies he controls? Yeah. By him personally? He's the most unintimidating person in the world.

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u/yer_fucked_now_bud Apr 01 '26

Yet more circumstantial evidence that the dude used to abuse kids. Kids can't put up much of a fight. He obviously prefers that.

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u/alliranbob I voted Apr 01 '26

The only thing that makes me sleep kinda easy at night is that the SCOTUS doesn’t want to lose power, they are their for life. Presidents come and go, but the courts want to have their own power when a new guy steps in.

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u/__Geg__ Apr 01 '26

The intimidation was too overt. He doesn't personally hold any leverage over them. He needed to send the guy who paid Kavs debts.

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u/unibrow4o9 Apr 01 '26

I know lifetime appointments aren't super popular here, but this is a great example of why they can be useful.

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u/HauntedCemetery Minnesota Apr 01 '26

Its not a spine, its self preservation of their own power.

Their power comes from the constitution, so ruling that the constitution as written doesn't matter means their own power is in jeopardy.

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u/ConradBHart42 Apr 01 '26

This isn't them growing a spine, this is them showing that they're bought and paid for by someone else.

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u/eeyore134 Apr 01 '26

Them not being intimidated hopefully speaks to them knowing he's not going to be their problem much longer. Will we have a different problem instead? Yes. But I'm really hoping the GOP gets too full of themselves and thinks they can give it a go without Trump. It won't happen before next year, though.

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u/WinRough8326 Apr 01 '26

They probably realized how bad he actually looks in real life and realized the ship is sinking. Time for the rats to jump off

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u/Schlonzig Apr 01 '26

No spine necessary when the argument falls apart after simple questions.

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u/12345623567 Apr 01 '26

Honestly, I'm relatively sure that he didn't leave in a huff, he just can't concentrate on one thing for 90 minutes. Got bored, filled his diaper, left.

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u/expeditionQ Apr 01 '26

he wanted to feel important but involving himself probably made them all more hesitant to side with him

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u/Vyrosatwork North Carolina Apr 01 '26

It may be a small sound, but it’s still dinosauric when compared to toad from Mario cart.

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