President Joe Biden appears to be starting to stray from his decision not to outright attack the Supreme Court over its decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
And his criticism of the Supreme Court, a co-equal branch of government, knows no territorial bounds either, apparently.
During a press conference in Madrid, Spain, on Thursday, Biden was asked a question about the court’s decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, recent mass shootings, and record high inflation.
The Associated Press’ Darlene Superville asked, “How do you explain this to those people who feel the country is going in the wrong direction, including some of the leaders you’ve been meeting with this week who think when you put all of this together, it amounts to an America that is going backward?”
Watch the video below:
JUST IN: "You haven't found one person, one world leader, to say 'America is going backward,'" said President Joe Biden at the NATO summit in Madrid. #NationalReport pic.twitter.com/yoQLpJ535X
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) June 30, 2022
Biden responded, “They do not think that. You haven’t found one person, one world leader, to say, ‘America is going backward.’ America is better positioned to lead the world than we ever have been. We have the strongest economy in the world. Our inflation rates are lower than other nations in the world.”
He could have stopped there, and it would have been a fine answer.
But instead, the President of the United States in a foreign country decided to attack the Supreme Court.
“The one thing that has been destabilizing is the outrageous behavior of the Supreme Court of the United States in overruling not only Roe v. Wade, but essentially challenging the right to privacy.”
He went on, “We’ve been a leader in the world in terms of personal rights and privacy rights. And it is a mistake in my view for the Supreme Court to do what it did.”
For one, the court’s opinion did not challenge the right to privacy. It explicitly stated that the move to overturn Roe does not undermine other previous decisions.
And two, the court has a right to review and overturn previous decisions if it deems they are not in line with the Constitution. Even some people who favor Roe agree that it was a flawed decision — but one that they argue should have stayed in place regardless.
But the court is not designed to be a democratic institution that can let certain issues with laws slide because they’re popular.
Biden stated last week he disagreed with the decision and called for protests to remain peaceful. He also largely stayed clear of criticizing the legitimacy of the court, which he deserved credit for.
Making his comments all the more outrageous is that amid his blustery language about the court’s decision, Biden has reportedly made a deal with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to appoint a pro-life lawyer to a lifetime appointment as a federal judge in exchange for not facing hold-ups on his nominees.
So he’s agreeing to appoint someone who holds views on abortion that he disagrees with purely for political reasons. If Biden felt so strongly about abortion access, wouldn’t such a deal be off the table?
Why Biden decided to take this opportunity to take a shot at the court is unclear. But it’s just not a good look to be overseas criticizing America’s institutions — especially when you campaigned on trying to return to normalcy. He should have cut his answer off sooner.