Watchdog Warns Supreme Court May Enable Further Executive Power Grabs

Tony Carrk, executive director of Accountable.US, contends that the 6-3 conservative bench has spent the first nine months of the current administration regularly abetting an unlawful power expansion. The court’s upcoming docket includes high-stakes decisions on whether the President can bypass Congress to enact tariffs or unilaterally fire heads of independent agencies, such as Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook.

Much of this friction plays out on the court’s "shadow docket," which allows for emergency rulings without public rationales. Data from Georgetown University law professor Steve Vladeck shows the administration filed 19 such requests in just 20 weeks—a volume that matches the entire four-year tenure of the previous administration. Stanford professor Adam Bonica notes an open conflict between the high court and lower benches, citing that while federal district courts ruled against administration actions 94.3% of the time between May and June, the Supreme Court reversed that trend by siding with the White House in 15 of 16 instances.

Public trust in the institution continues to slide, with a recent Gallup poll showing only 42% of Americans approve of the court's performance. As the justices prepare to weigh in on contentious issues like birthright citizenship, critics argue the court's legacy hinges on its ability to demonstrate independence from the executive branch.