Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg renewed his calls for significant changes to the Supreme Court on Thursday, arguing that the current court has become “rogue” and suggesting that lawmakers should consider restructuring the institution to better reflect the country.
Speaking in Chicago at the first Rainbow PUSH Coalition convention since the death of founder Rev. Jesse Jackson, Buttigieg joined former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker for a discussion that touched on voting rights, the judiciary, and the future direction of the Democratic Party.
Buttigieg, who is widely viewed as a possible Democratic presidential contender in 2028, used the event to sharply criticize the Supreme Court and its handling of issues related to voting rights.
According to Buttigieg, decisions affecting the Voting Rights Act have undermined some of the most significant advances in American history. He argued that those rulings have weakened Black political representation and reversed progress that he believes was achieved through decades of political and social struggle.
The former transportation secretary framed the debate as part of a broader conversation about how the United States confronts difficult chapters in its history. He said measures such as the Voting Rights Act and the 14th Amendment represented moments when the country confronted what he described as its “darkest demons.”
Buttigieg rejected the notion that discussing those historical struggles amounts to criticizing America. Instead, he argued that acknowledging them reflects appreciation for the nation’s ability to overcome major challenges.
From his perspective, recent Supreme Court decisions represent a step backward from that progress.
“We’ve had this leap back from a rogue Supreme Court,” Buttigieg told attendees.
The comments echoed proposals he first championed during his 2020 presidential campaign, when he advocated for a significant restructuring of the high court.
At that time, Buttigieg proposed expanding the Supreme Court from its current nine-member structure to 15 justices. Under that concept, five seats would effectively align with Democrats, five with Republicans, and five additional justices would be selected by the first ten members and serve as nonpartisan participants.
While discussing the issue Thursday, Buttigieg appeared poised to revisit some of those earlier ideas before being prompted by a moderator to elaborate on potential reforms.
Asked about more progressive proposals for addressing what he called a rogue court, Buttigieg responded that it was “time to think big.”
He noted that the Constitution does not specify that the Supreme Court must consist of nine justices. As a result, he argued that altering the size of the court would not require a constitutional amendment.
“Nowhere in the Constitution does it say that there have to be nine Supreme Court justices,” Buttigieg said.
He suggested one alternative would be a 13-member court, a number that would correspond with the structure of the federal judiciary’s district system. He also argued that reforms should be designed to reduce partisan conflict surrounding judicial vacancies.
According to Buttigieg, the current confirmation process has become too politically charged, with each opening on the court triggering intense partisan battles.
While he expressed support for the idea of term limits for justices, he said such a change alone would not be sufficient.
“We cannot have partisan warfare every time there’s an opening on the court,” Buttigieg said, adding that term limits “would help,” but “don’t go far enough.”
The remarks highlighted a continuing debate over the role and structure of the Supreme Court, a debate that remains one of the most consequential questions in American politics. As leaders in Washington wrestle with institutional reforms at home and ongoing conflicts abroad, Buttigieg’s comments reflected a belief that major changes to the nation’s governing institutions should remain on the table for discussion.
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