House Speaker Mike Johnson said he believes the Supreme Court will intervene with former President Donald Trump's criminal conviction, sending a shudder of dread rippling through social media Friday.
Johnson (R-LA) told Fox News the right-wing members of the nation's highest court were troubled by Trump's conviction on felony charges in New York City on Thursday — then made a suggestive comment.
"I think that the justices on the court, I know many of them personally, I think they're deeply concerned about that as we are," Johnson said. "So I think they'll set this straight"
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Johnson's declaration comes as the Supreme Court faces fierce scrutiny from critics who fear the conservative justices cannot be trusted to rule fairly on Trump-related cases.
Those fears were only stoked when news broke that Justice Sam Alito's wife hung a "Stop the Steal" sign in the family's yard, days after the U.S. Capitol riots on Jan. 6, 2021, and that her neighbors called police in hopes of making her stop what they described as a campaign of harassment.
Her husband — now tasked with ruling whether special counsel Jack Smith can prosecute Trump on criminal election interference charges — has shifted responsibility on his wife and refused to recuse himself from the presidential immunity case.
Chief Justice John Roberts has also refused to meet with Democrats to discuss their concerns that Alito has violated the court's ethical code of conduct.
The court heard arguments on April 23 and a decision is expected this summer.
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Concerns about the Supreme Court's potential political bias appeared only to worsen Friday when Johnson told Fox's conservative viewers he was sure the justices would intervene in a New York State criminal court case that has yet even to hold a sentencing hearing.
"MAGA Mike Johnson is calling on the Supreme Court to interfere with a local New York case involving falsification of business records, just because it involves his boss, Donald Trump," commented former Chicago Tribune editor Mark Jacob on X. "When the system works, Republicans hate it."
"We are rushing down a dangerous road," replied Brian Pearson. "Members of Congress now want to overturn the rule of law all for a charity thief, admitted sexual predator, a university con man, and now a FELON. I fear for this country."
"He 'knows' what Justices think about this case?!?!" Sal Paradise added. "He’s talked to them about it!? THAT’S a danger to the rule of law!"
X user Steve Z resorted to humor instead of outrage, writing "Sam Alito [is] furiously rewriting the immunity decision, to include 'paying off a p0rn [sic] star' as an 'official act'."
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