Political Wire

Supreme Court Again Sides with Republicans on TV Ads

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“The Supreme Court on Wednesday sided with the Trump administration in a monthslong fight over who is entitled to low rates for political ads,” the New York Times reports.

“The emergency order, which was unsigned and did not give a vote count, marked the latest time that the justices have weighed in on an obscure but critical part of the rules surrounding political advertising and whether political parties should be able to take advantage of the same low rates as candidates.”

“The court’s decision was a win for Republicans ahead of the midterm elections. Democrats have typically been thought to benefit from the old rules, which limited access to lower rates for ads to political candidates. That’s because Democratic candidates have tended to raise more money than their party’s committees. The opposite is true for Republicans.”

Judge Limited Access to Ilhan Omar’s Records

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“The Trump administration pushed for an unusually aggressive search of Rep. Ilhan Omar’s house in recent days in an immigration fraud probe that targets the congresswoman, possible false statements made on government documents, and a potential conspiracy, according to multiple people familiar with the investigation,” CNN reports.

“Prosecutors, however, first had to contend with a federal magistrate judge, in a prolonged back-and-forth that hasn’t previously been reported. Judge Matthew Sharbaugh of the DC District Court ultimately limited how the Justice Department could access Omar’s documents in Monday’s search, before he would approve the warrant, because of her role as a member of Congress and the Constitutional protections that affords.”

Trump’s Taxpayer-Funded Ads Kept Running

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“The Trump administration appears to have continued running campaign-style ads funded by taxpayer dollars after a federal judge ordered them to stop over the weekend,” the Washington Sun reports.

“The spots aired on ’60 Minutes,’ ‘ABC World News Tonight’ and ‘America’s Funniest Home Videos’ on Sunday night into Monday morning.”

Trump Asks Justices to Revive Lawsuit Against Clinton

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“President Donald Trump urged the Supreme Court on Friday to wade into his years long legal battle with former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and ex-Justice Department officials over the 2016 election, appealing a case that a lower court concluded was ‘frivolous,'” CNN reports.

“Trump filed the lawsuit in 2022 against Clinton, the Democratic National Committee and dozens of other people and entities he said conspired to undermine his 2016 campaign by falsely tying him to Russia.”

Justices Again Intervene in Political Ad Rate Dispute

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“The Supreme Court on Thursday once again quickly stepped into a legal clash regarding the rules governing the price of political television ads ahead of the midterms,” the Washington Sun reports.

“The Trump administration and Republican campaign committees asked the justices to halt a ruling from the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which gave the Federal Communications Commission until noon Friday to resolve a challenge from Democratic Senate nominees to the agency’s March guidance granting political party committees access to lower ad rates when coordinating with candidates.”

“Chief Justice John Roberts quickly did so — at least for now.”

Republicans Are Ready to Act on Supreme Court Vacancy

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“Senate Republicans are unlikely to get a Supreme Court vacancy this year. They’re privately prepared for one, just in case,” Politico reports.

”A Democratic midterm triumph would carry massive implications for the final years of President Donald Trump’s presidency, including the prospect that the Senate could essentially shut down confirmations of his favored nominees. That’s a nightmare scenario for Republicans, who have viewed their reshaping of the federal judiciary as a crown jewel of Trump’s legacy.”

Mediaite: Senate Democrats suggest they would block any Trump SCOTUS noms for 2 years if.

Alito Is ‘Not Pleased’ with What Trump Has Been Saying

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“Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said he was not happy about some remarks from President Donald Trump and his administration about the court, in a rare expression of disagreement with the executive branch,” MS NOW reports.

Said Alito: “I personally am not pleased with that. Everybody in this country has the right to criticize what we do. The substance of their criticism can be quite harsh. If we deserve it, then that’s fine. But rhetoric is a different story.”

Olympian Falsely Accused Seeks Investigation

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“Attorneys for Olympic canoeist David Hearn asked the internal watchdogs at the Justice and Interior departments on Tuesday to investigate the circumstances surrounding his arrest, indictment and the dismissal of the case,” CBS News reports.

“Hearn’s case garnered national attention, after he was falsely accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and subsequently indicted on a charge of felony destruction of government property.”

Alito Says He Won’t Retire During Lame-Duck Session

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“Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said he plans to stay on the court through next year, brushing aside speculation that he could retire early and let President Donald Trump fill his seat after the election but before a new Congress is sworn in next year,” Politico reports.

Said Alito: “I intend to stick around through this term. I made that decision many months ago.”

Supreme Court Sounds Wary of Suits Against Oil Producers

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“The Supreme Court justices sounded wary Monday of state-by-state lawsuits that could impose huge damage verdicts on energy producers for the impact of global climate change,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

“Instead, several of them suggested these local and state claims may be blocked by the federal Clean Air Act.”

Washington Sun: Supreme Court wrestles with future of climate change cases.

Students Lose Bid Over ‘Lets Go Brandon’ Shirt Ban

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“The Supreme Court will not hear a dispute over whether a Michigan public school district can bar students from wearing clothing emblazoned with ‘Let’s Go Brandon,’ a popular conservative slogan used to mock former President Biden,” NewsNation reports.

“The justices declined on Monday to take up a request from two brothers who claim their First Amendment rights were violated when they were told to remove sweatshirts with the slogan because it violated the school’s policy against profanity.”

Extra Bonus Quote of the Day

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“There’s been a great change in what presidents have said about the court when they are unhappy about our decisions. Traditionally, what presidents would say is, ‘The Supreme Court, it’s made its decision. I disagree with it, but we have to abide by it.’ And that was it. That’s what presidents said. That’s what members of the Cabinet said. That has changed.”

— Justice Samuel Alito, quoted by CBS News.

Supreme Court Reconvenes to New Wave of Trump Cases

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“The U.S. Supreme Court reconvenes Monday on the eve of the midterm elections to begin a new term that will confront a fresh wave of appeals from President Donald Trump and the prospect of explosive legal challenges to 2026 election results,” ABC News reports.

“The first case for oral argument involves climate change and a blockbuster bid by local governments to sue energy companies for financial damages over alleged harms from fossil fuels — the first-of-its-kind dispute to reach the justices. Potentially billions of dollars are on the line.”

“This year the court will also decide whether states can ban semi-automatic weapons like the AR-15; deny federal ballots to voters who don’t provide proof of citizenship on state registration forms; and block religious schools from taxpayer-funded programs when they discriminate against LGBTQ+ families.”

NPR: Supreme Court’s new term kicks off with blockbuster climate change case.

Supreme Court Heads Into New Term

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“When the Supreme Court kicks off a new, nine-month term on Monday, one key player will be noticeably absent: President Donald Trump,” CNN reports.

“After months of near-constant confrontation with the White House, the nine justices will retake their seats behind the court’s mahogany bench without a docket full of Trump-driven, separation-of-powers blockbusters that defined the last term — from tariffs to birthright citizenship to the firing of once-independent government officials.”

“The respite is unlikely to last.”

NBC News: Supreme Court to decide multiple high-profile cases in new term.

Reuters: With a mixed scorecard, Trump poised to test his powers again at U.S. Supreme Court.

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.

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