Mike Lee Profile picture
Aug 24 7 tweets 2 min read Read on X
1/ Utah is a Republican state—one that has been served by exclusively Republican governors for decades. And we’ve had decades of Republican majorities in both chambers of the legislature. Why, then, does Utah have a number of avowed leftists serving in its judicial system?
2/ Utah’s judicial nomination system is broken. Republican governors often end up naming left-wing judicial nominees who don’t share their views on the proper role of the courts—including basic concepts like textualism, originalism, and judicial modesty. It’s time for reform—to empower the governor to pick judges who align with the governor’s vision.
#UtahJudicialReform
3/ Here’s how it works today: For each judicial vacancy, a nominating commission (one per judicial district, plus an appellate commission for both the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals) solicits and reviews applications each time a judicial vacancy arises. Each commission consists of seven members appointed by the governor. Members of each commission must be U.S. citizens and Utah residents, and may not be legislators.
4/ The commission interviews candidates and sends a list of three to five qualified nominees (the number varies slightly depending on the position) to the governor, who must pick one within 30 days (or the Chief Justice appoints). The Senate then confirms. This “merit selection” system was meant to depoliticize, but in practice, it has resulted in more left-leaning picks than one would ordinarily expect to see in a Republican state, frustrating conservatives—even after decades of GOP governance.
5/ We’ve seen this lead to rulings like recent Utah Supreme Court decisions on redistricting and abortion that smack of judicial activism—overriding the legitimate policy choices of elected lawmakers.
6/ My suggestion: The Utah legislature should pursue a constitutional amendment to shift to a federal-style system. Eliminate mandatory, binding lists from the judicial nominating commissions—make their recommendations advisory. Let the governor nominate any qualified candidate who shares his or her views on the courts’ limited role, subject to Senate confirmation. Just like the president does in the federal system.
7/ This keeps checks and balances via Senate vetting, but empowers Utah’s elected governor to name judges who share his or her judicial worldview. No more forced, left-wing picks. I sincerely hope our legislature will pursue this type of reform in the next legislative session—contact your legislators! #ReformUtahCourts

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More from @BasedMikeLee

Aug 19
🧵 1. As President Trump has made clear, it’s time to end mail-in voting

Utah should lead the way on this

Other states will follow
#ElectionIntegrity
#UtahFirst
2. Mail-in voting opens the door to fraud & undermines trust in our elections

By contrast, in-person voting with ID ensures security & transparency Image
Image
3. States like Texas & Florida are already tightening voting laws

Utah has the chance to be a model for the nation by prioritizing election integrity Image
Read 7 tweets
Aug 15
🧵 1/ The Left’s latest push to “save democracy” is just a rebrand of their war on the Constitution. This @nytimes piece calls for abolishing the Senate, ending the Electoral College, and packing the Supreme Court. Let’s break this down. Image
2/ The Constitution gives each state equal representation in the Senate, balancing raw majority rule. The Electoral College ensures smaller states aren’t drowned out by big states. These are just two of the many deliberate, counter-majoritarian design features in our Constitution. The Left calls them “undemocratic.” In a sense, they’re right, but that’s the whole point of the Constitution—to restrain government, even (especially) when the majority doesn’t want the government to be restrained. nytimes.com/2025/08/14/opi…
3/ Why? Because these constitutional protections sometimes undermine their agenda. The Constitution isn’t a tool for unchecked majority rule—it’s a shield against it. That’s why I wrote Saving Nine—to show how our Constitution and independent judiciary protect us from mob rule. Image
Read 7 tweets
Aug 12
1/6 🚨 HUGE WIN! President @realDonaldTrump just invoked Section 740 of the DC Home Rule Act, putting DC police under federal control and deploying the National Guard

This bold move addresses the rampant crime that’s plagued our nation’s capital for too long

Thank you, Mr. President, for prioritizing safety!
#FederalizeDC
2/6 The Constitution is clear: Article I, Section 8, Clause 17 gives Congress “exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever” over DC

Home Rule has been a disaster, enabling soft-on-crime policies that endanger residents and visitors alike

It’s time to repeal it entirely
#RepealDCHomeRule
3/6 DC’s murder rate is skyrocketing, carjackings are epidemic, and even DOGE staffers aren't safe

This isn’t just a local issue—it’s a national embarrassment, and the Constitution itself makes it a national issue

Federal oversight will restore order and make DC a model city again

@elonmusk and other prominent figures weighed in on this after Big Balls was attacked, noting that this is one of countless examples of the urgent need for change
Read 6 tweets
Aug 11
🧵 1. With President Trump’s anticipated announcement tomorrow, August 11th, on stopping violent crime in DC, it’s time to push hard for federalizing our nation’s capital city

DC’s chaos under Mayor Bowser demands it—let’s revisit her 2020 blunder that sheds light on this
2. Mayor Bowser evicted over 1,200 National Guard troops, including Utah’s 19th Special Forces Group, from DC hotels during the George Floyd protests in 2020

She called the troop deployment escalatory, but they were protecting federal buildings and keeping order when DC couldn’t—or wouldn’t!
3. That eviction made DC less safe

Kicking out the Guard left DC exposed amid chaotic protests, with fires, vandalism, and clashes raging

Stripping away trained troops signaled weakness, putting residents, businesses, and monuments at higher risk of violence and looting
Read 8 tweets
Aug 8
🧵 1/ If the residents of DC want to be part of a state, the solution is *not* DC statehood

Any solution should involve reverting land ceded by Maryland for the creation of DC—excepting only a narrow corridor encompassing the White House, Capitol, & Supreme Court—to Maryland
2/ Let’s start with some historical context

DC was established by Congress under the Residence Act of 1790, allowing President George Washington to select a site for the federal capital along the Potomac River, not exceeding 10 miles square (100 square miles) Image
3/ Land was ceded by both Maryland (about 69 square miles) and Virginia (about 31 square miles) to form this diamond-shaped district that we now call DC Image
Read 18 tweets
Aug 6
🚨 Trump’s right to demand a federal takeover of DC after juveniles brutally attacked a DOGE staffer—it’s time to end the Home Rule disaster!

Here’s why Congress must act NOW:

🧵 1/12 Under the Constitution, Congress is supposed to be DC’s lawmaking body “in all cases whatsoever”

Article I, Section 8, Clause 17 empowers Congress “To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District … as may … become the Seat of the Government of the United States” 🇺🇸 #FederalizeDC
#BOWSERAct
2/12 In 1973, Congress began delegating that power to locally elected DC officials under the so-called DC Home Rule Act
3/12 This runs counter to the plain meaning and clear purpose of the Constitution, which made a clear choice to have our nation’s capital city run under the direction of Congress, not local officials
Read 12 tweets

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