Dear Mother Jones Reader,
We’re headed into the second year of the second Trump administration (doesn’t it feel like five years already?), so it’s time to take stock of who got us here and how. My colleagues Pema Levy and Ari Berman have just published a major new article explaining that the one person responsible for the current state of our democracy, perhaps like no other, is Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.
Pema and Ari examine how Roberts got to this point (it’s a story that goes back at least three decades) in our January+February 2026 magazine cover story. It’s a thought-provoking and unsettling article, and we’ve gotten a lot of response from readers who want to dig more into what happened and where we might go from here. So we’re holding an online discussion with Pema and Ari on Tuesday, December 16, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. You can register here.
During Roberts’ confirmation hearing in 2005, he sold himself in folksy terms, comparing his role to that of a neutral baseball umpire. But in his two decades leading the court, Roberts and the GOP-appointed majority have repeatedly sided with billionaires and Republicans and more recently granted unprecedented powers to the president. President Donald Trump is now testing the limits of presidential immunity by ignoring judges’ decisions on deportations, ordering the killing of people on boats in the Caribbean, sending the military and National Guard to patrol American cities, and disbanding congressionally created government agencies.
At the event, we’ll talk about how Roberts and the conservative majority laid the groundwork for Trump’s reckless behavior, often through an opaque system called the “shadow docket,” and explore what changes could reform the court, such as adding justices or enacting term limits. I will be moderating the 60-minute event, and you’re welcome to send us your written questions before or during the webinar.
To join us on Tuesday, December 16, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, you’ll need to register here (which will then email you the Zoom link).
This year was a stress test for American democracy and journalism. I’m so proud that Mother Jones’ and Reveal’s reporters didn’t flinch. Their investigations proved why an independent, nonprofit newsroom matters more than ever. I hope you’ll consider making a donation today to further support our investigative journalism.
Onward,
