A Democratic candidate named Graham Platner has said he wants to try to remove two current U.S. Supreme Court justices from their positions. Platner is running for a Senate seat in Maine and told NBC that he believes there are strong reasons to go after Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas.
Both judges have been under heavy criticism, especially during the presidency of Donald Trump. Justice Alito, in particular, wrote the main decision in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. That ruling overturned the long-standing abortion rights decision known as Roe v. Wade. This caused massive public backlash and led to calls for Alito to step away from future abortion-related cases.
Justice Thomas has also been at the center of controversy. Some critics have called for him to be removed after he made strong comments attacking progressive politics during a speech at the University of Texas. In that speech, he argued that modern progressive ideas go against the original principles laid out in the Declaration of Independence and could change the foundation of American government.
Platner has gone further by accusing Thomas of having questionable ties with businessman Harlan Crow. He claims the relationship looks corrupt and says Thomas has not stepped aside from cases that could affect Crow’s financial interests. Because of this, Platner says there is a serious and convincing case to impeach both judges.
He also suggested he would support bigger changes to the Supreme Court, including adding more judges to the bench if Democrats gain control of the Senate. Beyond the court, Platner made it clear he wants aggressive investigations into the Trump administration. He said he would push for constant hearings and legal actions, bringing officials in front of Senate committees again and again to answer questions about any actions he believes were illegal or unconstitutional.
In the United States, removing a Supreme Court justice is possible but very difficult. The process starts in the House of Representatives, where a simple majority vote is needed to formally accuse the justice of serious wrongdoing such as treason, bribery, or other major offenses. If that happens, the case moves to the Senate, where a full trial takes place. The justice can defend themselves, and it takes a two-thirds vote in the Senate to remove them from office.
Even though the process exists, it has never successfully removed a Supreme Court justice in American history. Some justices have faced impeachment attempts before, but none have actually been convicted and removed, which shows how rare and challenging this kind of action is.
