Episode 275  |  September 24, 2026

David French: Can We Trust the Supreme Court?

If the average person could interact in a personal way with more federal judges, you would feel better, not worse. Easily. I do not feel that way about members of Congress.
— David French

Episode Overview

What Happens When Power, Politics, and Judges Collide? (Spoiler: It’s Complicated)

Host Curtis Chang and New York Times columnist David French ask how much Americans can rely on the Supreme Court if the 2026 midterms are contested. They discuss the constitutional limit on presidential terms and why a disputed House race could expose the limits of judicial power. French explains why he remains hopeful about the highest court in the land despite political pressure, and shares his concerns about the conservative Christian legal movement. They also ask Christians: How can you love your neighbors when a court ruling causes harm?

Chapters
03:19
The Most Relevant Supreme Court Ruling of 2026
10:26
Risks of the Upcoming Midterm Elections
13:16
The Threat of Exploiting Legal Confusion
20:10
Internal Relationships Within the Supreme Court
27:12
The Influence of Personal Experience on Court Decisions
31:45
The Conservative Christian Legal Movement's Influence
38:31
Practicing the Second Greatest Commandment
46:10
How to Pray for the Supreme Court
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Resources from the Episode

Article  •  David French  •  The New York Times  •  September 13, 2026
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Website  •  Supreme Court of the United States  •  supremecourt.gov
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Document  •  Supreme Court of the United States  •  supremecourt.gov  •  February 20, 2026
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Website  •  Congressional Research Service  •  Constitution Annotated, Congress.gov
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Article  •  Rudi Keller  •  Missouri Independent  •  September 10, 2026
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Journal article  •  Elizabeth Yoder  •  Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics  •  2023
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Article  •  Michelle Boorstein  •  The Washington Post  •  September 14, 2026
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Document  •  Supreme Court of the United States  •  Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School  •  1944
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Website  •  David French  •  The New York Times
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Podcast  •  The Dispatch  •  Apple Podcasts
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Website  •  David French  •  Threads
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Scripture from the Episode

The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:31

Prayer Points from this Episode

Safety
Pray for peace and safety for Supreme Court justices and federal judges and their families as threats against them rise and U.S. Marshals resources are stretched thin.
Wisdom
Pray for wisdom for judges working through complicated, fast-moving cases with competing legal arguments.
Courage
Pray for the physical and moral courage judges need to do their jobs with integrity while under threat.
Fortitude
Pray for the fortitude to preserve the judiciary’s culture of civil, serious, respectful argument.
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