For a brief moment this summer, after the Supreme Court declined to overthrow democracy and invite Donald Trump to steal the 2024 election, there was a surge of hope that the six justices appointed by Republican presidents were starting to dial back their radicalism in the face of the massive public backlash. For years, the Supreme Court has enjoyed a measure of undeserved goodwill from the public, mostly because people don't pay close attention and assume the court is still in the business of upholding human rights instead of decimating them.
After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, however, voters started to wake up to the fact that a well-funded right-wing movement, led by the Federalist Society, had stacked the court with a bunch of hacks who care little for law or precedent. Added to the pile were well-publicized stories highlighting the corruption of justices like Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, who shamelessly enjoy free vacations funded by right-wing billionaires. The result is that only 31% of voters approve of the Supreme Court, according to an NBC News poll, which is down from 44% in January 2021.
