Staff Reports
The U.S. Supreme Court just threw out President Trump’s attempt to strip most babies born on American soil of birthright citizenship, and within hours Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania told MSNBC’s Morning Joe that “everything needs to be on the table” — including “radical reform” of the Court. That reaction tells you more about politics than law. Democrats are already salivating at the chance to remake the Supreme Court, and Shapiro’s comments are a full-throated promise to try.
What the Court actually decided
The high court ruled that the 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause covers children born in the United States to parents who are unlawfully or temporarily present here. That outcome preserves decades of legal practice and relies on long-standing precedent. In short, the court stopped a presidential shortcut that tried to change settled law by executive fiat. This is about the Constitution, not a campaign slogan.
Shapiro’s call for “radical reform”
On air, Governor Shapiro said “everything needs to be on the table” and called for “radical reform” so the people’s voice is heard. Translate that into plain English: when the Court rules against you, you want to change the rules. Court expansion, term limits, rewriting appointment rules — those are the ideas Democrats flirt with when they lose. It’s blunt politics dressed up as principled reform.
Reality check
Legal and political hurdles
None of the quick fixes Shapiro hints at are simple. Congress could change the number of justices, but that would be messy and politically explosive. Term limits sound tidy on TV, but turning life tenure into a revolving door raises constitutional questions that likely can’t be solved with a press release. Bottom line: these “radical” plans require political power and legal gymnastics — not the kind of thing you solve with a sound bite.
Bottom line: voters decide, not television hosts
Democrats can talk about “reform” on morning shows, but changing the court is a heavy lift that starts at the ballot box. If Republicans want to defend the Constitution and judicial independence, they should make the stakes plain and win elections. If Democrats want to remake institutions whenever they lose, they should say so out loud — voters deserve the clarity. Either way, the country should be skeptical of quick fixes sold as “radical reform.”
