Supreme Court Rulings: Mixed Impact on Trump's Agenda; Trump Demands Rehearing on Birthright Citizenship; Seeks 14th Amendment Change; Fifth Circuit Judicial Packing Continues; EAC Gutted via Slaughter; DOJ 0-18 in Voter Roll Cases; DHS in 'Impossible Dilemma'; SCOTUS Approval Tanks; Kagan Defends Court; New Mail-In Ballot Loss; Fed Chair Collision Course; New Tariff Lawsuits; Section 301 Strategy
The Supreme Court delivered a major win in Trump v. Slaughter (unitary executive), but the term was mixed: wins on campaign spending and transgender athlete ban, losses on birthright citizenship, tariffs, and the Carroll appeal. Barrett defected on tariffs, birthright citizenship, and mail-in ballots. Alito is emerging as Trump's most reliable ally. Trump is now demanding SCOTUS rehear the birthright citizenship ruling and has called for a constitutional amendment to change the 14th Amendment. The Slaughter ruling included a curious exception for Fed governor Lisa Cook. The Fifth Circuit is set to get more conservative with nominee Anna St. John. Major escalation: Trump leveraged the Slaughter ruling to fire all three remaining EAC commissioners, a direct power grab over election administration ahead of the 2026 midterms. DOJ suffered its 13th straight loss in the voter roll crusade, now 0-18 after GOP-appointed judges tossed cases in Virginia, New Mexico, Connecticut, Kentucky, and New Jersey. DHS faces an 'impossible dilemma' as two federal judges issue contradictory orders on the SAVE voter database. New polls show SCOTUS approval tanking: 60% of independents disapprove, 46% of Americans say rulings are based on politics. Trump also rescinded nursing home voting guidance, further suppressing votes. Justice Kagan pushed back on the 'rubber stamp' narrative, citing specific losses for Trump. A federal appeals court also lifted a block on USPS mail-in ballot restrictions, a win for Trump. New today: The 1st Circuit blocked Trump's mail-in voting order in 23 states, but the D.C. Circuit later ruled opposite, creating a circuit split that likely forces SCOTUS review. Trump admitted his new tariffs are 'doing the same thing' as those struck down by SCOTUS, prompting new lawsuits from small businesses using the same legal team that beat him before, and now Rivian suing for tariff refunds. A potential collision course with new Fed Chair Warsh over rate hikes highlights the fragile SCOTUS consensus on Fed independence after Slaughter. Trump's new tariff plan shifts to Section 301, which may have better legal grounding but still faces challenges. A ProPublica investigation documents over 40 cases where judges questioned DOJ's credibility, including AI-generated fake citations, further eroding trust.