During former President Donald Trump’s tenure, he appointed 234 judges, including three associate justices of the Supreme Court of the United States. The appointments made at the highest level of the court are far from being record numbers, but political commentators have been predicting paradigm-shifting rulings like the ones handed down this week since the Trump-era nominations were made.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court
struck down the use of race in college admissions, more colloquially known as affirmative action. On Friday, another ruling
invalidated the Biden administration’s student loan debt forgiveness program.
Twitter was filled with reactions to not only the two decisions but also what led to the conservative-majority court.
Political commentator and host Megyn Kelly
wrote: “A spectacular day for Donald Trump whose three conservative picks for SCOTUS were integral to the historic decisions yesterday and today. Major feather in his cap and will likely (& rightfully) be touted by his campaign in coming months.”
Other conservatives, welcoming the rulings, credited Trump as well.
“Regardless of your opinion about the Trump presidency, his mark on the Supreme Court has been extraordinary. Decision after decision has restored a fundamental constitutionalist perspective to our legal landscape. Trump’s agenda either remade or restored America—your choice,”
wrote actor James Wood.
Sports journalist Clay Travis wrote, “Donald Trump’s biggest legacy, by far, is his Supreme Court appointments. He nailed it on all three and these three are going to preserve American liberty and freedom for generations to come. Absolute home runs.”
“Today’s Supreme Court ruling would not have been possible without President Trump’s appointments to the court,”
wrote anchor and politician Kari Lake.
Critics of the recent rulings were quick to criticize the political preferences of the justices, but few
pointed to Trump directly. Many proponents of canceling student debt instead urged the Biden administration to do more.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued a
statement urging more executive branch action to counter the “right-wing Supreme Court justices” and quoted Justice Elena Kagan’s dissent that the court’s “first overreach in this case is deciding it at all.”
“But this fight isn’t over. The President has additional legal tools to cancel student debt—and he should use them. This Supreme Court needs to follow the law, not make policy decisions,”
wrote Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).
“With the pause on student loan payments set to expire in weeks, the Biden administration must do everything in its power to deliver for millions of Americans struggling with student loan debt. The admin has remaining legal routes to provide broad based student debt cancellation,”
wrote Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
Robert Kennedy Jr.
wrote, “
The unfortunate SCOTUS ruling striking down President Biden’s #studentloan forgiveness program was the predictable result of Biden’s failure to bring Congress together on this issue of crucial importance to young Americans.”“President Biden knew his plan wouldn’t survive a legal challenge. His plan gave the appearance of action, while accomplishing nothing. This is an issue of grave importance to our country. As President, I will galvanize public support to pressure Congress to put down their partisan positions and legislate meaningful relief to the tens of millions of Americans who are drowning in student debt.”
