What would happen if Donald Trump just decided to ignore the Supreme Court? Believe it or not, some experts think that’s possible now that he’s back as president. In 2024, Trump won another term, and with it come fresh worries about whether he’ll respect important American institutions, especially the Supreme Court. Stephen Vladeck, a well-known law professor, recently wrote about this in The New York Times, sounding the alarm that Trump might simply ignore Supreme Court rulings he doesn’t agree with. Vladeck calls this a “once unthinkable” situation—but with Trump back in the White House, it’s looking more and more likely.
Vladeck argues that Trump’s past actions, his fans’ bold comments, and some recent Supreme Court decisions all add up to a pretty worrying picture. During his first term, Trump often ran into legal roadblocks when he tried to push through his more controversial ideas, and the Supreme Court stepped in multiple times to put the brakes on him. But now, with another term ahead of him, experts are concerned Trump might just ignore the court completely if it tries ttro stand in his way.
One big reason for this risk, Vladeck says, is that people trust the Supreme Court less and less these days. After some very unpopular decisions—like overturning Roe v. Wade—many Americans are pretty annoyed with the court. And here’s the problem: the court needs people’s respect to make its rulings stick. Without that trust, it’s like the court’s power is wearing thin.
Vladeck asks, “What if Trump just ignores a decision from the Supreme Court that he doesn’t like?” This is a big question because it could mess with the balance of power that has kept America’s government running smoothly. Trump has always had a bit of a “I’ll do what I want” attitude toward institutions, but the idea of him challenging the law in ways we’ve never seen before is pretty worrying.
Stay up-to-date with the latest news!
Subscribe and start recieving our daily emails.
To make things even more interesting, Trump’s new sidekick, Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, has said out loud that Trump should just ignore any Supreme Court rulings that get in his way. Vance even gave a shout-out to Andrew Jackson, a past president famous for doing his own thing and ignoring the courts. This attitude shows they’re willing to play fast and loose with the law—and that’s a big problem for the justice system.
Another reason Trump might ignore court rulings is that, since he can’t run for a third term, he might feel like he’s got nothing to lose. In his first term, he had to worry about getting re-elected, so he had to keep the public happy. But now, with no more elections ahead of him, Trump could become even more bold—he might just ignore the court and not care about the fallout.
Vladeck warns that the power of the courts is delicate and relies on people trusting the law. He said, “Judicial power is fragile… the entire system is jeopardized when the courts lose their ability to stand up to the other institutions of government.” In simple terms, if the Supreme Court loses respect, it could mess up the balance of power in the U.S. government. Without that balance, we might all be in for a very bumpy.
This is a big deal. If a president starts ignoring the Supreme Court, it could cause serious problems for the whole system. The checks and balances that keep everything fair and in line could get broken, and that would be bad for democracy. As Vladeck says, the Supreme Court’s power only matters when people believe in the law. If the court loses respect, everything could start falling apart. The U.S. needs all its institutions to work together to keep democracy alive.
Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
