The hard-right Republican super-majority on the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, given Trump presidential immunity, and struck down key Biden-era initiatives like forgiving student loan debt.
Now, a new book is comparing the Republican justices to the “Plastics” from 'Mean Girls' and Patrick Bateman from 'American Psycho.' It also compares their gutting of voting rights to “The Red Wedding” from 'Game of Thrones' and its efforts to roll back reproductive freedoms to the “Ken-surrection” in the 'Barbie' movie.
Written by lawyer, professor, and podcaster Leah Litman, it’s called Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes.
Litman joins Mehdi to discuss the book and break down the influence of Republican justices on US politics, why “they view themselves as victims and use that to victimize everyone else,” and the decades-long strategy the GOP used to roll back key rulings like Roe.
“I need people to be socialized in a very different picture of the Supreme Court and understand how what's happening today is the product of a much longer political and social movement that has designs on many big things,” Litman tells Mehdi.
Litman also has a message for those who believe the Supreme Court is helpless when it comes to holding the Trump administration accountable: “I am hesitant to suggest people should be obeying in advance, basically, by assuming the courts lack all authority and just saying there's nothing they can do.” The law professor then goes on to outline exactly what they can do!
You can click here to buy a copy of Litman’s book Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes. And do share your own review of it with us in the comments below!
Looking for more book recommendations? Visit the Zeteo book club here for inspiration!
If you are a paid subscriber, you can watch the full interview above to hear what Litman thinks is next on the chopping block for reproductive rights, the Supreme Court cases she’s watching closely, and her thoughts on Trump potentially running for an unconstitutional third term.
Free subscribers can watch a 7-minute preview. Consider becoming a paid subscriber today to watch the full interview.
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