#1742 Captured Court, Captured Nation: SCOTUS Serves Trump's Authoritarianism

<p><strong>Air Date 10/7/2025</strong></p> <p>The Trump administration has been doing what we knew it would: breaking laws and losing about 95% of their court battles. And the conservatively stacked Supreme Court has been doing what we knew it would: overwhelmingly ruling for Trump to cover his tracks because that's what they were put there to do.</p> <p>Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email <a href="mailto:Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com">Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.bestoftheleft.com/1742">Full Show Notes</a></p> <p><strong>Check out our new show, SOLVED! on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@BestOfTheLeft">YouTube</a>!</strong></p> <p><strong><a href="https://www.bestoftheleft.com/support" rel="noopener" target="_blank">BestOfTheLeft.com/Support</a> (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!)</strong></p> <p><strong><a href="https://discord.gg/dhyZE3WMJn" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Join our Discord community</a>!</strong></p> <hr /> <p><strong>KEY POINTS</strong></p> <p>KP 1: <a href="https://www.listennotes.com/pt/podcasts/the-hartmann-report/hiding-in-the-shadow-docket-4H1MWfQXwo6/"> Hiding in the Shadow Docket - The Hartmann Report - Air Date 8-24-25</a></p> <p>KP 2: <a href="https://www.democracynow.org/2025/9/3/national_guard_immigration">Does It Matter? Trump Keeps Losing on Immigration in the Courts - Democracy Now! - Air Date 9-3-25</a></p> <p>KP 3: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPuBHjaH3nw">US Supreme Court Allows Trumps Controversial Immigration Raids to Continue in LA - Al Jazeera English - Air Date 9-9-25</a></p> <p>KP 4: <a href="https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc-podcast/why-is-this-happening/supreme-courts-power-grab-trump-podcast-transcript-rcna220362"> The Supreme Court's Power Grab Under Trump - Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast - Air Date 7-15-25</a></p> <p>KP 5: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2z_wbwvraU">Is the Supreme Court Corrupted? with Alex Aronson | Freethought Matters - Freedom From Religion Foundation - Air Date 1-9-25</a></p> <p>KP 6: <a href="https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-unconscionably-irreconcilable-justice-sotomayor-rips-colleagues-in-fiery-dissent-247242309776"> 'Unconscionably Irreconcilable': Justice Sotomayor RIPS Colleagues in Fiery Dissent - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 9-9-25</a></p> <hr /> <p><strong>(00:51:05) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR</strong></p> <p>On authoritarianism in practice</p> <hr /> <p><strong>DEEPER DIVES</strong></p> <p><strong>(01:00:16) SECTION A: PAVING THE PATH</strong></p> <p>A1: <a href="https://slate.com/transcripts/WWFXU29KQkU0azZkQmtpb1VwU2UwKzAyVXlGS3B5Uy9Uc3l3c2FzYXJuQT0="> How To Build A Police State (With The Supreme Court's Blessing) - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, Justice, and the Courts - Air Date 7-19-25</a></p> <p>A2: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HE1Cneffc8">Dear Justice Kavanaugh, "I'm American, Bro" - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, Justice, and the Courts - Air Date 9-13-25</a></p> <p>A3: <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/09/09/nx-s1-5534282/supreme-court-justice-amy-coney-barrett-defends-courts-work-on-emergency-rulings"> Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett Defends Court's Work on Emergency Rulings - NPR Morning Edition - Air Date 9-9-25</a></p> <p>A4: <a href="https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/lawfare-daily--trials-of-the-trump-administration--sept.-18"> Lawfare Daily: The Trials of the Trump Administration - The Lawfare Podcast - Air Date 9-5-25</a></p> <p>A5: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lLniqTXf2Y">How the Supreme Court Allowed Trump to Reshape America in One Year | Explainer - Heather Cox Richardson - Air Date 7-2-25</a></p> <hr /> <p><strong>(01:41:19) SECTION B: LEGAL GRAY AREA</strong></p> <p>B1: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trump-brings-the-war-home-unlocked/id1497785843?i=1000721227614"> Trump Brings the War Home - 5-4 - Air Date 8-8-25</a></p> <p>B2: <a href="https://www.dividedargument.com/episodes/bedrock-con-law-101">Bedrock Con Law 101 - Divided Argument - Air Date 8-29-25</a></p> <p>B3: <a href="https://www.msnbc.com/the-beat-with-ari/watch/uh-oh-trump-in-trouble-as-polls-drop-and-protests-erupt-nationwide-247128133956"> Uh-oh: Trump in Trouble as Polls Drop and Protests ERUPT Nationwide - The Beat with Ari - Air Date 9-8-25</a></p> <p>B4: <a href="https://omny.fm/shows/bloomberg-law/justice-thomas-cautions-against-following-precedent"> Justice Thomas Cautions Against Following Precedent - Bloomberg Law - Air Date 9-30-25</a></p> <p>B5: <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/the-legality-of-trumps-d-c-takeover-as-statistics-show-decline-in-crime"> The Legality of Trumps D.C. Takeover as Statistics Show Decline in Crime - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 8-11-25</a></p> <hr /> <p><strong>(02:19:05) SECTION C: CORRUPTION</strong></p> <p>C1: <a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/08/25/nx-s1-5515610/how-trump-is-using-the-doj-as-his-personal-law-firm"> How Trump Is Using the DOJ as His Personal Law Firm - Here & Now Anytime - Air Date 8-25-25</a></p> <p>C2: <a href="https://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/-captured-court-hayes-on-leonard-leo-s-two-fold-plan-to-form-this-supreme-court-173061701800"> Captured Court: Hayes on Leonard Leos Two-fold Plan to Form This Supreme Court - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 5-11-23</a></p> <hr /> <p><strong>(02:31:03) SECTION D: HOPE?</strong></p> <p>D1: <a href="https://www.democracynow.org/2025/9/2/trump_tariffs">Trump's Tariffs Struck Down: Attorney Neal Katyal Oregon AG Dan Rayfield Respond - Democracy Now! - Air Date 9-2-25</a></p> <p>D2: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ysj4eycqK4">When Trump Hits New Jersey, This Lawyer Hits Back - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, Justice, and the Courts- Air Date 8-16-25</a></p> <p>D3: <a href="https://crooked.com/podcast/the-lower-courts-punch-up/">The Lower Courts Punch Up - Strict Scrutiny - Air Date 9-8-25</a></p> <p>D4: <a href="https://www.msnbc.com/the-beat-with-ari/watch/losing-maga-embarrassed-as-courts-reject-trump-powers-on-immigration-tariffs-troops-247120965863"> Losing! MAGA "Embarrassed" as Courts Reject Trump Powers on Immigration, Tariffs, Troops - The Beat with Ari - Air Date 9-8-25</a></p> <p>D5: <a href="https://afj.org/article/boom-lawyered-trump-hijacked-the-courts-heres-how-to-fix-it/"> Trump Hijacked the Courts: Here's How to Fix It- Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 8-28-25</a></p> <hr /> <p><strong>SHOW IMAGE CREDITS</strong></p> <p>Description: Composite image depicting a photo of the exterior of the U.S. Supreme Court with giant chains crossed over the building with an orange seal with the silhouette of Donald Trump where the chains cross.</p> <p>Photo Credit: "US Supreme Court" by David (dbking), Flickr | <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode.en">CC BY 2.0</a> | Changes: Cropped, and added chain vector image</p> <p> </p> <p>Produced by Jay! Tomlinson</p> <p>Visit us at <a href="http://www.bestoftheleft.com/">BestOfTheLeft.com</a></p> <p>Listen Anywhere! <a href="https://www.bestoftheleft.com/listen">BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen</a> Listen Anywhere!</p> <p>Follow BotL: <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/bestoftheleft.bsky.social">Bluesky</a> | <a href="https://mastodon.social/@bestoftheleft">Mastodon</a> | <a href="https://www.threads.net/@bestoftheleft">Threads</a> | <a href="https://x.com/BestOfTheLeft">X</a></p> <p>Like at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft</a></p> <p>Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com</p>