COLUMN: Trump and the Republicans Are Turning the Justice System Into a War Machine

Limited Tools, Growing Anger

Faced with this Republican machine, the Democrats are trying to resist. They’re using the few tools at their disposal: “blue slips,” which allow a senator to block the nomination of a judge from their state. They’re mounting objections, delivering speeches, and making attempts to slow down the process. But their resources are limited. With only 47 seats, they cannot block confirmations, which require only a simple majority. So they speak out. They denounce the hypocrisy of the Republicans, who in 2016 refused to hold hearings for a judge nominated by Obama on the pretext that the elections were too close. They point out that these rushed nominations threaten the independence of the judiciary. But their voices are lost in the partisan clamor. Because in this America of 2026, the end justifies the means. And the end, for the Republicans, is power. Absolute. Eternal. Undivided.

I think of those Democratic senators, fighting with whatever means they have at their disposal. Trying to slow the bleeding. Trying to save what can still be saved. And I tell myself: they’re like firefighters facing a blaze. They’re running. They’re shouting. They’re trying to put out the flames. But the fire is too strong. Too well fueled. Too well organized. Because the Republicans, for their part, have a plan. A cold plan. A calculated plan. A plan that leaves no room for morality, ethics, or decency. Just victory. Just power. And that’s what terrifies me the most: realizing that, in this America, justice is nothing more than a power struggle. That judges are nothing more than pawns. That the Constitution is nothing more than a text to be interpreted, twisted, and stripped of its meaning. And that those who should be defending it have become its gravediggers.

Six Republican Justices, a Solid Majority

With six of the nine justices appointed by Republican presidents—including three by Trump himself—the Supreme Court is now firmly anchored on the right. This majority has already handed down several rulings favorable to the Trump agenda, upholding controversial executive orders, limiting the powers of federal courts, and even authorizing voting restrictions in key states like Texas. The Democrats, powerless, watch as this institution drifts ever further from the progressive values it once embodied. Worse still: they know that even if they retake the Senate in November, they will not be able to reverse this trend. Because Supreme Court justices are appointed for life. Because Trump has cemented his legacy. Because, for decades to come, the nation’s highest court will bear his mark—a mark that weighs heavily on the rights of minorities, the environment, public health, and democracy itself.

I remember this oft-repeated phrase: “The Supreme Court is not a political institution.”
But today, that is no longer true. Today, the Supreme Court has become the Republican Party’s enforcement arm. An arm that, under the guise of legality, sanctions the worst excesses. That, under the guise of interpretation, twists the meaning of the Constitution. That, under the guise of independence, serves the interests of a single man. And I ask myself: what remains of justice when it becomes an accomplice? When it becomes a tool? When it becomes a machine for crushing rights, freedoms, and hopes? We are told to trust the institutions. But how can we trust an institution that has been co-opted? That has been corrupted? That has been transformed into a tool of power? The answer is simple: we cannot. And that is the real tragedy. Because when justice loses its legitimacy, then democracy itself collapses.

November 2026: That’s when everything will be decided

The November 2026 midterm elections are shaping up to be a referendum—a referendum on Trump, on his justice system, and on his legacy. If the Democrats regain control of the Senate, they’ll be able to launch investigations, block his reforms, and even attempt to impeach him. They’ll also be able to slow down—or even halt—the confirmation of new judges. But to do that, they need a landslide victory. Because the Republicans have redrawn the electoral districts to favor their candidates. Because they’ve locked down the rules of the game. Because they’ve turned every election into a legal battle. And Trump, for his part, has already warned: if he loses, it will be proof of fraud. Of a conspiracy. Of an attack on America. So he’s rallying his base. He’s crying out that this is an emergency. He’s brandishing the threat of a “Democratic coup.” And his supporters believe it. Because in Trump’s America, the truth no longer matters. All that matters is victory. At any cost.

I think of those voters, those millions of Americans who, in November, will have to choose. Not between two platforms. Not between two visions. But between two Americas. Trump’s America: a divided, distrustful America, obsessed with power. An America where justice is a weapon. Where elections are battlefields. Where truth is a variable to be adjusted. And the Democrats’ America: a fragile, uncertain America, but one that still believes in its institutions. That still believes in its values. That still believes justice must be independent. That the vote must be free. That power must be limited. And I tell myself: this choice is much more than a vote. It’s a fight. A fight for the soul of America. A fight for its future. A fight to determine whether, tomorrow, this country will still be a democracy. Or whether it will be nothing more than an empty shell, stripped of its meaning by men who have nothing left but power as their compass.

When Information Becomes a Weapon

In this legal battle, the media plays a key role. Some outlets, such as Fox News, amplify Republican successes, presenting every judicial confirmation as a “victory for America.” Others, such as The New York Times or The Washington Post, denounce a “partisan takeover of the judiciary,” a “power grab against democracy.” But amid the media clamor, one question remains: Who is still listening? Who still believes in the objectivity of the news? Because in the America of 2026, facts have become opinions. Truth has become a matter of political affiliation. And justice, for its part, has become a matter of public relations. A battle where every confirmation is a victory to be flaunted. Every obstruction, a defeat to be hidden. Every judge, a soldier to be celebrated. Or demonized.

I remember a time when the media served as a counterweight to power. When they dared to speak uncomfortable truths. When they refused to be manipulated. Today, they’ve become mouthpieces. Mouthpieces for Trump, who shouts about his victories. Mouthpieces for the Republicans, who turn every confirmed judge into a hero. And the public is lost. Lost in an ocean of disinformation. Of half-truths. Of propaganda disguised as news. So yes, there are still journalists who resist. Who dig deeper. Who fact-check. Who dare to say that the emperor has no clothes. But they are becoming increasingly rare. And with each passing day, they become a little more invisible. A little more inaudible. And that is the real tragedy: that of a world where the truth is no longer valued. Where it no longer has a place. Where it no longer has any meaning.

A Judiciary Under Siege, a Weakened Democracy

The consequences of this Republican strategy will be long-lasting. Conservative judges, appointed for life, will shape American law for decades to come. They will influence decisions on abortion, minority rights, the environment, and economic regulation. They may even, if necessary, validate or invalidate contested elections. This prospect terrifies Democrats but delights Trump. Because, for him, that is the ultimate victory: a judiciary in his image. A judiciary that will outlive him. A judiciary that, even after he’s gone, will continue to serve his interests. And that is much more than a political legacy. It is a takeover. A takeover of democracy. A takeover that, if not stopped, could very well be irreversible.

I often wonder what historians will think, twenty years from now, when they look back on this period. Will they say that this is where everything changed? That this is where the American justice system lost its independence? That this is where democracy began to die? Because that is the real danger. Not Trump. Not the Republicans. But the idea that the judiciary could be co-opted. That judges could become partisans. That the courts could become instruments of power. And I tell myself: if we let this happen, if we don’t resist, then we’ll all be complicit. Complicit in this slow, insidious, deadly erosion of the values that make up a democracy. So today, we must speak out. We must denounce it. We must fight. Because if we don’t, then who will?

When the People Speak Out Again

Faced with this republican machine, one last bulwark remains: the people. Protests are multiplying. Civil rights organizations are mobilizing. Citizens, for their part, are beginning to realize the extent of the danger. They can clearly see that the judiciary is no longer an independent branch of government. That it has become a partisan issue. So they take to the streets. They sign petitions. They hold their elected officials accountable. They vote. Because they know one thing: if the judiciary is co-opted, if elections are rigged, then all that remains is the street. More than the voice of the people. More than that simmering anger that, one day, could very well sweep everything away. Because in a democracy, the final say always rests with the people. Even when judges are bought off. Even when elections are rigged. Even when institutions are corrupt. The people, however, remain. And that is the ultimate hope.

I’ll end this article with a thought for these citizens. For these men and women who, today, refuse to remain silent. Who refuse to submit. Who refuse to see their justice tarnished. Their democracy weakened. Their future stolen. And I tell myself: it is from them that change will come. Not from politicians. Not from judges. Not from the media. But from the people. Because the people have a memory. They have a conscience. They have dignity. And when they realize that all of this is being stolen from them, that’s when they rise up. That’s when they shout. That’s when they fight. That’s when they reclaim what belongs to them. So today, I choose to believe in them. Not in Trump. Not in his judges. Not in his senators. But in them. In their ability to say no. To resist. To demand better. Because that’s what true democracy is. Not laws. Not institutions. But people. People who, despite everything, continue to believe in justice. In freedom. In the future.

America at a Crossroads

America in 2026 stands at a crossroads. On one side, a judiciary that has been co-opted and turned into a partisan war machine. On the other, a people who are beginning to rebel. Who are beginning to say no. Who are beginning to demand that the law be upheld. That judges be independent. That democracy be preserved. The November elections will be a test. A test for Trump. A test for the Republicans. A test for America. Because if the Democrats don’t retake Congress, then the justice system will remain captive. Then the courts will remain conservative strongholds. Then democracy will remain in peril. But if the people mobilize, if voters rise up, then anything is still possible. Then justice can still be saved. Then democracy can still be preserved. Then America can still choose its destiny. Because, at its core, that’s what democracy is: the right to choose. The right to make mistakes. The right to start over. And today, America has that choice to make. Between submission and rebellion. Between the past and the future. Between fear and hope.

I don’t know what the future holds for America. I don’t know if the Democrats will win in November. I don’t know if the justice system will ever be freed from Trump’s grip. But I know one thing: today, America faces a choice. A choice that transcends parties. That transcends elections. That even transcends politics. A choice between two worldviews. One where justice is a weapon. Where judges are soldiers. Where democracy is an illusion. And one where justice is a bulwark. Where judges are guardians. Where democracy is a promise. So today, I choose to believe in that promise. I choose to believe in this America that resists. That fights. That refuses to give in. Because that is the true greatness of a nation: not its laws. Not its institutions. But its ability to rise again. To reinvent itself. To say no. To say: we are better than this. We deserve better than this. We are better than this.

Signed, Jacques Provost