Nearly half the country believes the Supreme Court decides cases based on political ideology rather than the law, according to a new poll, reflecting continued public skepticism toward the high court after a term that handed both major victories and setbacks for President Donald Trump.
The poll, conducted by the Washington Post and Ipsos, found 46% of people say the Supreme Court bases its rulings on the Trump administration’s political agenda, while only 25% say the justices decide cases based chiefly on the law. Overall, 55% disapprove of the way the court is handling its job, according to the survey conducted July 8-13.
Of respondents who feel the court makes partisan rulings, 66% said the decisions particularly favored Trump, compared to 17% who said the justices mainly opposed Trump.
Opinion of the court is deeply partisan, as Republicans are far more likely to approve of the court’s performance, with about two-thirds approving. Democrats and independents are more likely to view its decisions as politically motivated, with three-quarters and 6 in 10 disapproving, respectively.
The findings follow a Supreme Court term that featured several consequential decisions involving Trump’s policies.
The court handed Trump significant victories in a series of decisions during his second term. The president scored two wins on his immigration policies, as well as a decision that expanded presidential power over some executive branch officials and upheld restrictions on transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.
But the administration did not prevail across the board. The justices rejected Trump’s appeal in the E. Jean Carroll case, leaving intact the $5 million civil judgment against him. The court also preserved the Federal Reserve’s long-standing independence by preventing the president from removing Fed officials without cause, even as it broadened presidential removal authority over leaders of other independent agencies.
IN FOCUS: SUPREME COURT TERM SHOWS CONTRAST BETWEEN JUSTICES WHO DOMINATE ARGUMENTS VERSUS DECISIONS
Trump reshaped the court during his first term by appointing three of its nine members: Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. Their confirmations helped establish the court’s current 6-3 conservative majority.
The Supreme Court has faced heightened scrutiny in recent years over ethics concerns and a series of high-profile rulings on abortion, executive power, and other politically charged issues. The latest poll suggests many people continue to question whether the court acts as an independent judicial body or is influenced by politics.