SouthernWorldwide.com – Former Vice President Kamala Harris has recently voiced support for expanding the Supreme Court, a concept that has drawn significant criticism.
This idea, often referred to as “packing the court,” involves increasing the number of justices on the bench. Harris suggested this during a call with the liberal group Emerge, where she indicated a willingness to “invite ideas.”
The proposal is reminiscent of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s attempt in 1937 to expand the court. At the height of his popularity, Roosevelt sought to increase the number of justices to 15. His aim was to overcome conservative opposition to his New Deal programs.
However, Roosevelt’s plan was met with strong resistance and ultimately failed. Congress rejected the bill, despite Roosevelt’s significant Democratic majority. Many, even within the Democratic party at the time, believed such a move would undermine the independence of the judiciary.
Interestingly, after the court-packing plan was proposed, the Supreme Court began to uphold major New Deal programs. This shift occurred even though the court-packing bill did not pass.
Harris’s current articulation of the idea was framed as an invitation for discussion, with her stating a desire to “invite ideas.” She specifically mentioned the goal of “neutraliz[ing] this red state cheating.”
During the same call with Emerge, Harris also suggested exploring the abolition of the Electoral College and granting statehood to Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. These proposals are seen as moves that could potentially benefit the Democratic party.
The timing of these suggestions comes as Kamala Harris has increasingly taken on a more active role, particularly after Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race. Harris herself lost all seven swing states to Donald Trump in 2024.
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Her campaign was noted for its caution, including a period where she avoided media interviews. Now, she appears to be positioning herself more assertively, perhaps influenced by Trump’s perceived unpopularity due to issues like the Iran war.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has strongly criticized Harris’s proposals, labeling them a “dangerous gambit.” He stated, “You don’t just blow up the system when you lose.”
The underlying fear for politicians considering such radical changes to institutions like the Supreme Court, the Electoral College, or the Senate filibuster is that these powers could be used against them in the future. Republicans, for instance, worry about an unchecked liberal agenda, such as the implementation of national health insurance, if they are not in power.
A significant challenge for Harris during her presidential campaign was her perceived inability to distance herself from Joe Biden. She famously stated on “The View” that “not a thing comes to mind” when asked what she would have done differently during his presidency.
Meanwhile, Joe Biden has maintained a very low profile. The Democratic party appears to be moving on from him, especially given his ongoing battle with cancer.
Even when Donald Trump was in office, he garnered more media attention due to his involvement in four criminal investigations. This contrast is partly attributed to Biden’s efforts to shield himself from the press, which some believe was to conceal his declining mental acuity.
Notably, Donald Trump is one of the most frequent mentioners of Biden’s name, both in speeches and online, often even when the topic is unrelated to his predecessor.
In a recent exchange with Fox’s Bret Baier regarding arms sales to Taiwan, Trump commented on Xi Jinping’s perspective. He suggested that “like” might be too strong a word, implying that Xi believed Trump could approve such sales with a simple signature, unlike Biden.
Among Democrats, there remains a strong affinity for former President Barack Obama, who has become a prominent critic of Trump. Obama recently remarked on Stephen Colbert’s show about the Iran deal, stating, “We pulled it off… without firing a missile. We got 97% of their enriched uranium out… and we didn’t have to kill a whole bunch of people or shut down the Strait of Hormuz.”
When Colbert jokingly suggested he might run for president, Obama responded that the bar had already been lowered.
Trump, who consistently refers to Obama as “Barack Hussein Obama,” has retaliated forcefully. He shared a post from a former adviser that alleged “incontrovertible evidence” of Obama being the “spearhead of a seditious conspiracy to subvert the will of the American people and overthrow the United States government back in 2016.”
Trump also expressed hope that Obama would be arrested before the grand opening of his presidential library, calling him “the most DEMONIC FORCE in American politics in decades.”
The 2028 Democratic presidential nomination is expected to be a competitive race, with figures like California Governor Gavin Newsom likely to contend against Harris. This upcoming election cycle will be the first in 16 years without Donald Trump on the presidential ballot.
However, political analysts caution that polls conducted this early are often unreliable. Historically, candidates with high name recognition have faded once the actual campaign activities begin.
For Kamala Harris’s political future, it would be prudent to abandon the idea of packing the Supreme Court. She could frame it as a trial balloon that quickly deflated, referencing the historical precedent of FDR’s failed attempt 89 years ago.
