The Supreme Court's ideological rulings are roiling US politics – just like when Lincoln and his Republicans remade the court to fit their agenda

"Impeach and remove partisan zealots from the court," reads one protester's sign in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on July 9, 2022. Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Political conflict over the Supreme Court’s direction is raging in the aftermath of two sweeping rulings in the court’s most recent term, one which expanded individual gun rights and the other which removed constitutional protection for abortion. Those rulings were the product of a conservative majority made more muscular and bold in the last few years by the addition of three justices appointed by former President Donald Trump.

The rulings were hailed by conservatives and criticized by progressives and liberals. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas issued a statement saying: “The Supreme Court’s decision in the Dobbs case, reversing Roe v. Wade, is nothing short of a massive victory for life.” President Joe Biden spoke of the “outrageous behavior of the Supreme Court,” while on his left, Rakim H.D. Brooks, the head of Alliance for Justice, a coalition of more than 130 progressive groups, said, “This disturbing milestone speaks to how hyper-partisan and lawless the Trump Court has become.”