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On Wednesday, Vice President Mike Pence told reporters with the Christian Broadcast Network how he felt about the Supreme Court. In particular, Pence focused on Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. “Look, we have great respect for the institution of the Supreme Court of the United States, but Chief Justice John Roberts has been a disappointment to conservatives,” Pence told David Brody.
This is a rare statement for Pence, who typically keeps a low profile. When compared to the president, Pence is downright vanishing, often staying out of the limelight. However, Wednesday’s interview was a glimpse into the frustration conservatives feel over the Supreme Court. Despite holding five of the nine seats in the court, cases on matters like DACA, LGBT rights and preserving the ACA have gone in favor of more liberal voices on the court.
Supreme Court justices are appointed to their role by partisan politicians, but they themselves serve on the court for life. As such, they have no strong connection to the party that confirmed them, as is seen in Roberts’ recent decisions. Roberts is hardly a liberal, either. His vote was critical during the Bush administration in keeping US troops in the Middle East.
However, in recent years, Roberts has been a swing vote on the court. On many key issues, he sides with liberal justices. Issues like upholding LGBT rights and protecting childhood arrivals to the country have been decided by Roberts’ vote. These decisions coming while conservatives ostensibly control the court has been frustrating for the GOP, to say the least.
“I think several cases out of the Supreme Court are a reminder of just how important this election is for the future of the Supreme Court,” Pence went on. “We remember the issue back in 2016, which I believe loomed large in voters’ decisions between Hillary Clinton and the man who became president of the United States.”
It’s possible that many likely Trump voters might skip the polls this year. While older Americans normally have to worry about AFib strokes and arthritis medication, this year brings new worries. Trying to vote in the middle of a pandemic is a daunting premise for many older people.
Between the president’s own insistence that mail-in voting is rife with fraud and the pandemic, many older people could skip out of the election. Pence is trying to capitalize on their desire to see a further conservative majority on the court.
