President Joe Biden has issued a stark warning about the impact that electing Donald Trump would have on the future composition of the Supreme Court.
Speaking at a Hollywood campaign event Sunday, Biden said whoever wins November’s presidential election could get to name two Supreme Court justices.
He argued the court has never been so “out of step” as it is now and suggested the trend would continue under a second Trump presidency.
As president, Trump nominated three conservative justices to vacancies on the high court; they helped to overturn Roe v. Wade, taking away federal abortion protections.
Biden, who appeared alongside former President Barack Obama at a fundraising event moderated by comedian Jimmy Kimmel, also referred to Justice Clarence Thomas arguing for the court to revisit cases that have already been decided related to contraception and same-sex marriage.
When asked by Kimmel what people should do if they fear their rights are under threat, Biden responded: “Elect me again.”
“The next president is likely to have two new Supreme Court nominees. Two more,” he added before referring to Trump. “He’s already appointed two that have been very negative in terms of the rights of individuals.”
Biden then took aim at Justice Samuel Alito and the controversy surrounding two flags flown at his homes.
“The idea that if [Trump] is reelected, he’s going to appoint two more, flying flags upside down,” Biden said.
He added that Trump’s influence on the court would be “one of the scariest parts” of his return to power, saying: “The fact of the matter is that this has never been a court that’s been this far out of step.”
The decisions made by the court today are “a by-product” of the 2016 election and voters who “sat out,” the president continued.
“They said, ‘Well, we’re not enthusiastic enough. We’re not feeling inspired enough. Why bother?’” Biden said. “And hopefully, we have learned our lesson because these elections matter in very concrete ways. And we’re now seeing how much it matters when it comes to the Supreme Court.”
