Amid fears over the potential for a conservative majority on the Supreme Court, HBO host John Oliver has reiterated his offer to pay Justice Clarence Thomas to resign.
HBO host John Oliver has once again expressed his willingness to pay Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas millions of dollars to step down from the high court. The offer comes as former Obama adviser Dan Pfeiffer warns of the possibility of a "MAGA majority" on the court should former President Donald Trump win re-election in November.
Pfeiffer predicts that if Trump wins, he would likely appoint two additional Supreme Court justices, since Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito are nearing retirement age. With the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh during Trump's first term, a total of five Supreme Court justices would have been appointed by Trump, all of whom would be under the age of 60 at the end of his second term.
Pfeiffer warns that such a "MAGA majority" could have a profound and long-lasting impact on the nation's legal landscape, even if Democrats manage to win subsequent presidential elections. He believes Trump's influence on the court would be "all over" it for decades to come.
Oliver's offer to pay Thomas to resign is a somewhat tongue-in-cheek attempt to address concerns about the potential for a conservative takeover of the Supreme Court. However, it highlights the growing fears among Democrats and progressives that the court could become increasingly tilted in favor of conservative policies.
Thomas, a conservative justice, has been on the Supreme Court since 1991. He has been a consistent vote against affirmative action and abortion rights, and has supported gun rights and religious freedom.
Pfeiffer's comments come after former President Barack Obama praised President Joe Biden for confirming his 200th pick for a federal judgeship. Obama noted that more than half of Biden's judicial appointees are women and people of color.
Obama emphasized the importance of judicial appointments, stating that judges have the power to either "roll back progress or keep us moving forward" and to "protect our basic liberties or take them away." He urged voters to remember the stakes involved in the upcoming election.
The Supreme Court has become an increasingly partisan battleground in recent years, with both parties seeking to shape the court's ideology through their judicial appointments. The possibility of a conservative majority on the court has raised concerns about the future of key issues such as abortion rights, voting rights, and environmental regulations.
