Post
Garrett M. Graff
‪@vermontgmg.bsky.social‬
This is a symbolic victory, but it’s a real warning sign that there are four solid Supreme Court votes to allow Trump to do anything at all. America’s democracy hangs by the thin thread of Roberts and Coney Barrett’s feelings in any given case.
BREAKING: SCOTUS, ON 5-4 VOTE, WILL NOT STOP TRUMP'S FRIDAY SENTENCING IN NEW YORK COURT.
(ORDER LIST: 604 U.S.)

THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2025

ORDER IN PENDING CASE
24A666 TRUMP, DONALD J. V. NEW YORK, ET AL.

The application for stay presented to Justice Sotomayor and
by her referred to the Court is denied for, inter alia, the
following reasons. First, the alleged evidentiary violations at
President-Elect Trump’s state-court trial can be addressed in the
ordinary course on appeal. Second, the burden that sentencing
will impose on the President-Elect’s responsibilities is
relatively insubstantial in light of the trial court’s stated
intent to impose a sentence of “unconditional discharge” after a
brief virtual hearing.
Justice Thomas, Justice Alito, Justice Gorsuch, and Justice
Kavanaugh would grant the application.
ALT
January 9, 2025 at 4:30 PM
408 reposts
22 quotes
1.6K likes
I think four solid votes is underplaying it; the only reason this was allowed to go forward was because there will be no consequences. Had Merchan not guaranteed an unconditional discharge, they obviously would have stepped in.
Gorsuch and Barret will occasionally trade places depending on moon phase.
I never had any hope for Gorsuch who, while on the appeals court, voted that a truck driver could be fired for driving out of a dangerous situation when his employer told him to wait for a service truck. He is a monster.
He is a monster and an idiot. Here's one example, which is particularly rich because the gasses he gets mixed up are chemicals regulated by an agency that he later ruled can't have its expertise overrule a judges'.
A screenshot from a Slate article that says Neil Gorsuch got two gasses mixed up in a SCOTUS opinion.
ALT
yeah, excellent example of Supreme Corporate methodogy: 1. Rule for the corporation (and therefore against the regulator) 2. Write down some words to justify it; the words don't have to make sense, because from SCOTUS there is no appeal. It is good to be king, eh?
To be honest I think the thread snapped with the immunity ruling.
Four votes for "laws literally never apply to Trump", and two for "laws occasionally apply to Trump, if its not too much of an inconvenience".
Bros before “hos” would seem to be the motto of Thomas, Alito, Kavanagh and Gorsuch. Despicable.
That is exactly the correct takeaway from today's news.
Well, the six SCOTUS Rs all gave him essentially a blank check already.
Lol there are at least 5, ACB goes the other way if Trump were going to be actually sentenced to anything
Actually bet it's Roberts, not ACB.
You're both right. 6-3 in that case
American democracy hangs by a thread of the least democratic branch of government.
And let's not forget Roberts' unitary executive leanings. It's going to be a long 4 years. And with the immunity ruling, very few checks on the executive.
Feelings and corruption but not the actual law…great!🤦🏻‍♀️
It turns out lifetime appointment is still not ideal in the long run in any organization
Take the win. It’s Dry January FFS!
If there was a chance of Merchan imposing even minimal consequences there's no way both Coney Barrett and Roberts vote to allow sentencing.
I am somehow not reassured. Sigh
From his ruling during the first Trump presidency, which were arguably more center than the last 4 years, I think Roberts doesn’t care for Trump very much and certainly isn’t resigning any time soon.
Only four? A small victory.
Roberts complains about the public view of the Court This went a small way towards reversing that
4 solid judges that are corrupt
So there ya go then. Rump did as he said & stacked the court last time. I just can't wrap my mind around how people like this guy. So much so, they give up their morals & ethics. Every cell in my body tells me this guy is not even close to what we think. I keep thinking the 'The Last Stand'
And on (sorry to be morbid) the three liberal justices living for the next four years.
Indeed. I think the way the court leans on releasing the Smith report will show us the future.
I'm sure he's busy threatening them as we speak so he won't have to worry about any future defections.
Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh are so un-American.
i'm really glad these are lifetime appointments
Soon five, thanks to the ailing Sotomayor selfishly clinging to her seat much as RBG did. Strategy? Dems don’t do strategy. That’s exclusively a GOP thing.
Roberts/ACB are the new Manchin/Sinema.
The Xtreme Court proving once again that the Law is irrelevant to them. Impeach now or forever regret not doing it.
I agree in principle, but we need to be conscious of timing. The 4 despicable justices that have tipped their hands are at least a ‘known evil’. To see them ousted now would just open up slots for tRump to fill again. And unfortunately, he does seem to hav the ability to always find someone worse
His Bizarro superpower, to corrupt anything he touches.
4 justices eager to do anything to tip the scales, to rip law & justice apart. monsters. absolute monsters. that we have essentially no way to deal with. so much hate. diaf monsters; let this nation live.
Big deal. He won't do time. Laws are for little people.
The 4 votes are symbolic. On comity grounds the Court would never have intervened.
Or god forbid something happening to one of the older left wing justices.
And the health of Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson.
Pleasantly surprised about Coney Barrett. She may just have a scintilla of a conscience, after all.
Lol there are at least 5, ACB goes the other way if Trump were going to be actually sentenced to anything