Newt Gingrich's 'unhinged' assault on the judiciary
Newt is fading in the polls, but he won't go quietly. His latest grenade? President Gingrich would arrest activist judges and ignore some Supreme Court rulings

A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Newt Gingrich is a former House speaker who is running for president, so perhaps it's no surprise that his least favorite branch of government appears to be the judiciary. Over the weekend, Gingrich told reporters that as president, he'd have the power to eliminate entire federal courts, replace "activist judges," and even ignore certain Supreme Court rulings. He also said Congress should subpoena federal judges whose decisions are "strikingly at variance with America," and that the president could send U.S. Marshals to force unwilling judges to testify. This assault on the independence of the judiciary was roundly criticized, even by conservatives who broadly agree with Gingrich that federal courts are overreaching. What is Gingrich thinking?
Newt is either pandering, or he's nuts: The closer Newt gets to the nomination, "the more unhinged" his attacks on the judiciary seem to become, says Andrew Cohen at The Atlantic. The GOP base hates liberal judges, so maybe Newt is "committing constitutional heresy just to win a few primary votes." But if not, we must assume that he actually buys this crackpot "Rock-Paper-Scissors version" of the Constitution, in which the president and Congress can overrule the Supreme Court. That's frightening.
"Newt Gingrich and his 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' Constitution"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
He's going after the separation of church and state: If you look closely, says Kevin Drum at Mother Jones, Newt is only advocating toothless courts when it comes to religion in the public square. "It's really nativity scenes and prayer in public shool that animate him on this subject." That's the motivation behind Newt's comments. He wants America to be a state-supported Christian nation "without any pesky courts getting in the way."
There's at least a nugget of truth in Newt's rant: People are "dumping on Gingrich, for mostly good reason," says Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit. But he's right that we could use a "constitutional reset" after "the hash the Supreme Court has made of things over the past 50 years." That's what Newt is good at: "Tossing a stink bomb... and letting the ensuing reaction demonstrate that there's something rotten about the status quo." But as with fellow former academic President Obama, some musings are best left to professors.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
-
Biden's stumble
Cartoons
By The Week Staff Published
-
The daily gossip: Travis Kelce chats about Taylor Swift's Chiefs game visit, Hollywood writers thrilled with details of new contract as strike ends, and more
The daily gossip: September 27, 2023
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
The Trump Organization is over
Cartoons
By The Week Staff Published
-
Trump surrenders in Georgia election subversion case
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries chosen to succeed Pelosi as leader of House Democrats
Speed Read
By Brigid Kennedy Published
-
GOP leader Kevin McCarthy's bid for House speaker may really be in peril
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Are China's protests a real threat for Beijing?
opinion The sharpest opinions on the debate from around the web
By Harold Maass Published
-
Who is Nick Fuentes, the white nationalist who dined with Trump and Kanye?
Speed Read From Charlottesville to Mar-a-Lago in just five years
By Rafi Schwartz Published
-
Jury convicts Oath Keepers Stewart Rhodes, Kelly Meggs of seditious conspiracy in landmark Jan. 6 verdict
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
A look at the White House's festive and homey holiday decor
Speed Read
By Brigid Kennedy Published
-
Bob Iger addresses 'Don't Say Gay' bill, says inclusion is part of Disney's values
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published