When she was nominated by former President Donald Trump to the U.S. Supreme Court last September, Amy Coney Barrett was seen as every right-wingers golden girl, a judge who would join the conservative majority and cement the power of the far right on the high court for decades to come.
Now, however, six months later, many on the right are said to be both “disappointed” and “despondent” over what they’ve seen from Barrett so far, according to CNN:
“Barrett has only been on the bench since late October, providing an exceedingly small sample size, but her votes not backing President Donald Trump in attempting to overturn the 2020 election as well as a mixed ruling in a clash between houses of worship and California have brought concern to some who heralded her nomination. The nervousness so early in her tenure reveals more about the high hopes of the conservative movement that has finally obtained a 6-3 majority than it does about Barrett’s own jurisprudence.”
In other words, right-wingers are upset that Barrett dares to have a mind of her own and doesn’t march in lockstep with their extremist agenda.
Consider this remark from Kelly Shackelford of the right-wing First Liberty Institute:
‘”You have a lot of people in the conservative movement who are so far disappointed and a little despondent about those votes.”
Barrett will have a chance to cement her right-wing credentials when the court convenes in October and cases involving the Affordable Care Act and what remains of the Voting Rights Act will be before the justices. A case from New York could also give Barrett the opportunity to strike down the state’s rules for obtaining a concealed carry permit for gun owners. In the past, Barrett has been an ardent supporter of the Second Amendment, suggesting that she may vote to overturn the New York law.
However, right-wingers remain skeptical and worried, with one source telling CNN that the nightmare scenario for conservatives is if the court breaks into factions that would be detrimental to their agenda:
“The source expressed concern that the court would end up in a 3-3-3 lineup in some cases with the liberals on one side, and Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Barrett in the middle and Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas on the far right.”
For now, all any of us can do is watch and wait until Barrett begins revealing just how strident she may be.
Featured Image Via NBC News
