Twitter users, including Politico‘s Jake Sherman, had an issue with the phrasing of one President Donald Trump‘s tweets Wednesday morning, a tweet which seemed to suggest he thinks the Supreme Court is an office that is held by a political party.
Here is what Trump tweeted:
THE SECOND AMENDMENT WILL NEVER BE REPEALED! As much as Democrats would like to see this happen, and despite the words yesterday of former Supreme Court Justice Stevens, NO WAY. We need more Republicans in 2018 and must ALWAYS hold the Supreme Court!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2018
“THE SECOND AMENDMENT WILL NEVER BE REPEALED! As much as Democrats would like to see this happen, and despite the words yesterday of former Supreme Court Justice Stevens, NO WAY. We need more Republicans in 2018 and must ALWAYS hold the Supreme Court!”
The tweet came in response to retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens’ op-ed in the New York Times, in which he suggested the repeal of the Second Amendment.
“A party doesn’t ‘hold’ the Supreme Court,” Politico‘s Jake Sherman replied to Trump.
A party doesn’t “hold” the Supreme Court. https://t.co/qPkULyzaVH
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) March 28, 2018
Others expressed similar displeasure under Trump’s tweet.
Do you understand that the Supreme Court is supposed to be apolitical? NO ONE should hold the Supreme Court. You need to read up on the meaning of humble. I think they make a pie….. pic.twitter.com/jJZZHwX2Hb
— Patricia Jacobs (@poodlepatty) March 28, 2018
That's not how democracy works.
— Andrew Colon (@ajcolon01) March 28, 2018
1. Justice Stevens is a Republican
2. Parties don’t “hold” the Supreme Court
3. Using all caps when talking about guns is just fueling our fear that people like you aren’t emotionally stable enough to own guns. pic.twitter.com/AHkeWnY3sh— OhNoSheTwitnt (@OhNoSheTwitnt) March 28, 2018
One also wonders why Trump mentioned the Supreme Court in the first place, since it is Congress that would repeal the Second Amendment, i.e. amend the Constitution.
Article V of the Constitution:
The Congress, whenever two thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to this Constitution, or, on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three fourths of the several states, or by conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress; provided that no amendment which may be made prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any manner affect the first and fourth clauses in the ninth section of the first article; and that no state, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate.
Perhaps it was just a garbled way of saying “we, Republicans, need less justices like John Paul Stevens.”
[Image via Chris Kleponis-Pool/Getty Images]
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