The Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, June 29, 2023 prior to the Supreme Court decision to strike down race-conscious student admissions programs at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina.
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SCOTUS enters the 2024 chat
The Supreme Court’s pivotal decision on Thursday striking down affirmative action policies at Harvard and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are already galvanizing Democrats and Republicans alike ahead of a crucial 2024 election.
The decision was largely hailed by the 2024 GOP presidential contenders, including former President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). Trump said that the decision handed down today was “a great day for America” while DeSantis said that “the Supreme Court has correctly upheld the Constitution and ended discrimination by colleges and universities.”
At least one candidate – former Vice President Pence – is already using the decision to highlight their involvement in the appointment of the justices. We could likely start hearing a similar tune from Trump on that on the campaign trail, too.
The Hill’s Caroline Vakil and Julia Manchesterhave more on what each of the GOP candidates have said about the SCOTUS decision so far here.
Meanwhile, President Biden argued that the country couldn’t allow the justices’ ruling “to be the last word” in remarks he delivered later on Thursday.
“While the court can render a decision, it cannot change what America stands for. America is an idea — an idea —unique in the world. An idea of hope and opportunity. Of possibilities. Of giving everyone a fair shot,” Biden said.
The president also took a jab at the Supreme Court on his way out of the East Room where he delivered his remarks when a reporter asked him if the high court had “gone rogue.”
“This is not a normal court,” Biden said.
Welcome to The Hill’s Campaign Report, we’re Julia Manchester and Caroline Vakil. Each week we track the key stories you need to know to stay ahead of the 2024 election and who will set the agenda in Washington.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) presidential campaign resurfaced a 2015 clip of former President Trump saying he was “fine” with affirmative action on Thursday following the Supreme Court’s ruling that struck a blow to the college admissions practice. The governor’s team posted a clip on the campaign’s war room account from the 2015 interview with then-candidate Trump on NBC’s “Meet the …
The Supreme Court Thursday struck down affirmative action policies at Harvard and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, creating a seismic shift in the landscape of higher education and racial equity. The decision, hailed by conservatives and slammed by Democrats, will have long-standing implications over the racial makeup of colleges and universities and the types of opportunities students of color are afforded. …
A former Google executive has launched a campaign for California Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D) seat, which the longtime lawmaker is vacating following the 2024 elections, adding to a race already featuring three prominent House Democrats. Lexi Reese, who also previously worked for Facebook, announced her bid Thursday as an outsider to politics running for office for the first time. She joins Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie …
Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy did not commit to supporting President Biden when asked during a News Nation town hall on Wednesday.
“I don’t know what I’ll do,” Kennedy told News Nation’s Elizabeth Vargas when asked whether or not he would support Biden in the general election. “Let’s see what happens in this campaign. Let’s see what – if people are living up to democratic values and having debates and having discussions and, you know, talking to each other, but I’m not going to bite.”
Kennedy also had praise for former President Trump, telling Vargas that he was “proud” that the former president likes him.
The two instances are examples of how Kennedy appears to be walking a very fine line between Republicans and Democrats. The Hill’s Hanna Trudodetails how Republicans have viewed Kennedy as a useful weapon against Biden.
“Kennedy’s quick climb in polls has intrigued Republicans for a number of reasons. For one, he appeals to a faction of the right that likes to buck things such as vaccine mandates and raise questions about the pharmaceutical industry writ large. They also like that he has cast skepticism on government agencies and the media,” Trudo writes.
However, Kennedy has an incredibly long way to go before he can pose any kind of serious threat to Biden’s candidacy. The Real Clear Politics polling average shows Biden leading with 64 percent support, while Kennedy trails at 14.4 percent support. Marianne Williamson comes in at 5.7 percent in the average.
But even in New Hampshire, where Kennedy supporters say he has the best shot of having a decent showing, he significantly trails Biden. A survey from Saint Anselm College showed Biden with 68 percent in the state. Kennedy, on the other hand, only garnered nine percent support, while Williamson got eight percent support. For Kennedy, that is a 59 point difference.
Former President Trump is set to travel to Pickens, S.C. on Saturday ahead of the Fourth of July.
Among the featured speakers in attendance, they’ll include Gov. Henry McMaster, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Reps. William Timmons (R-S.C.) and Russell Fry (R-S.C.).
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) threw his support behind former Navy SEAL officer Tim Sheehy on Thursday in the race to take on Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) next year. “Tim Sheehy is a good friend, and I’m glad he decided to run for the U.S. Senate. Tim’s business experience and commitment to public service is what we need in Washington,” Gianforte said in a statement shared by Sheehy’s campaign. …
Former President Obama said affirmative action policies “allowed generations of students like Michelle [Obama] and me to prove we belonged,” after the Supreme Court on Thursday struck down the use of such policies at two universities. “Like any policy, affirmative action wasn’t perfect. But it allowed generations of students like Michelle and me to prove we belonged. Now it’s up to all of us to give young …
President Biden on Thursday weighed in on the Supreme Court following its decision to upend affirmative action in college admissions, calling it “not normal.” “This is not a normal court,” the president said at the White House when asked whether thought the institution had gone “rogue.” The president opted not to … Read more
The Supreme Court in a pair of cases Thursday severely limited the use of race as a factor in college admissions, upending decades of affirmative action programs that U.S. institutions have used to select students from their applicant pools. In rulings that broke along ideological lines, the court’s six conservative justices invalidated … Read more
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