Torn down Rightwing justices axe decades of settled law

Another momentous term has ended at the US supreme court in which the rightwing supermajority crafted by Donald Trump applied its blueprint for the radical overhaul of vast swathes of American public life to new areas, including race and LGBTQ+ rights.

- Ed Pilkington

In a repeat of the shockwaves of a year ago, when they overturned the right to an abortion, the six rightwing justices - three appointed by Trump saved their biggest explosions until the end. Last Thursday's 6 to 3 ruling barring affirmative action at Harvard and the University of North Carolina will affect virtually every selective higher education institution in the US, with potential ramifications far beyond.

Last Friday, the last day of term, the six conservatives wielded their sword over LGBTQ+ rights. In another 6 to 3 ruling, they slashed anti-discrimination protections to allow a devout Christian web designer to turn away same-sex couples.

The case, 303 Creative v Elenis, was instigated by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a rightwing Christian group that has been classed as an extremist group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Its legal arguments were based on questionable evidence.

The icing on the conservative cake, also delivered by a 6 to 3 margin, struck down the Biden administration's student debt forgiveness plan. Buried with it were the financial hopes of 40 million Americans.