I know it's died down, but for awhile there were earnest discussions about whether it would be legal for Trump to pardon himself. So maybe we should consider whether he might appoint himself to the Supreme Court. He could thereby avoid the embarrassment of losing to Biden, a distinct possibility according to current polls. Assuming his successor in the presidential race lost, he could from his perch on the High Court critique the substitute's foreshortened campaign. I'm pretty sure there's no requirement that a Supreme Court justice be a lawyer. Since there are currently 53 Republicans in the Senate, his confirmation is assured: Mitt Romney's vote might be shaky, and Susan Collins would have concerns—I count no fewer than 52 yes votes. It's a lifetime appointment, something that is plainly appealing to Trump, though this advantage would be offset by eight coequal colleagues taking up office space.
On the other hand, the annual task of interviewing and hiring law clerks could be made into a lucrative reality TV show.
Justice Robert Jackson did not have a law degree.
Posted by: Steve Fiebiger | September 26, 2020 at 02:52 PM