A leading conservative called for the MAGA movement to break the courts to establish Republican dominance over the government.
Iowa-based talk show host Steve Deace published an op-ed in the Conservative Review castigating U.S. Supreme Court chief Justice John Roberts for claiming the judiciary was “independent” from the other branches of government while also insisting the courts had authority to “strike down” both legislation and executive actions.
"So which is it? Are judges independent arbiters — or unaccountable gods?" wrote Deace, who had been an outspoke Donald Trump opponent during his first term.
"Roberts may not understand what 'independent' actually means," he added. "How can the judiciary call itself independent when it relies entirely on the other two branches for its power? Judges don’t appoint or confirm themselves. They don’t fund their own operations. They can’t enforce their own rulings or impose new policies. They act only through the political structures that created them."
Deace argued that the judiciary was dependent on the other branches of government for their power and were designed, as Alexander Hamilton wrote to possess “neither force nor will." He called for Republican leaders to ignore court rulings that went against them.
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"Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier shows exactly what’s at stake," Deace wrote. "He’s openly defying a federal judge’s order on immigration. So why hasn’t anyone arrested him for contempt? Who would enforce the order? The U.S. Marshals? Not without Trump’s OK. Local sheriffs? Only if Gov. Ron DeSantis agrees."
The chief justice is hoping Americans don't notice the limits of the court's authority, Deace wrote, and the outspoken Covid-19 vaccine skeptic urged Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his "Make America Healthy Again" movement to test those limits and openly defy them.
"That political will must now be exercised — boldly — against both the judiciary and the emerging fractures inside the 'Make America Healthy Again' movement," Deace wrote in his piece, titled "John Roberts doesn't deserve you deference."
"While it’s true that MAGA 2.0 wouldn’t exist without MAHA, the movement faces internal risks just as dangerous as external enemies. If MAHA lets infighting fester, it will rot from the inside — just as Anthony Fauci’s unchecked power eroded trust during COVID."
Kennedy's inner circle has been plagued by infighting during the early days of Trump's second presidency, and Deace urged them to set those differences aside and pull Covid vaccines from the market entirely and encouraged Republican lawmakers to impeach judges who stand in their way.
"Pulling the COVID shot off the market would take guts," Deace wrote. "So will getting a Republican Congress to accept its mandate from the people, rather than punting to unelected judges while cashing in on K Street."
"The next 100 days must restore order," the conservative writer added. "The path forward looks clear. What’s uncertain is whether we have the courage and conviction to walk it. Were we made to be ruled by John Roberts and Anthony Fauci? Or will we step up and govern like citizens? Yes, governing is hard. But letting medical and judicial 'experts' run our lives is far worse.
