Blue Wave Alone Cannot Fix National Security Without Supreme Court Control

If a blue wave washes over Washington, national security suffers immediate damage. Almost no new federal judges or cabinet members get appointed. The defense spending America urgently needs simply does not happen. Chuck Schumer shuts down confirmations if he becomes Senate majority leader. He blocks almost every Trump nominee.

What difference does this make? On one hand, history textbooks show little change. People hoping for a total flip might feel let down on election night. But even if Congress flips, another disappointment waits the left.

First, rosiest scenarios fail to give Democrats veto-proof majorities in both houses. One-party governance wrecked California once. Divided government leads to shutdowns again and again. Shutdowns annoy people and destroy projects. They cannot bring fundamental change though.

Democrats in D.C. cannot turn all America into California or New York. They need control of all three branches first. Even then, Democratic Socialist demands like abolishing the Senate require supermajorities. Constitutional amendments probably needed too.

Left-wing fever dreams stay unfulfilled for a long time. No Kings parties gather often enough to shift reality. The Constitution stands strong against revolutionary passion. It was built to stop precipitous legislative action. Deliberation is a feature, not a bug. Fast change remains rare indeed.

Significant damage happens anyway, especially regarding defense spending. A lame duck Congress run by Republicans might try for a three-year appropriation. If they fail between November 4, 2026, and January 3, 2027, the military faces self-harm again. That was the Sequester era.

Democratic control of the Senate guarantees nothing passes through Schumer's chamber. No federal appeals court nominees get confirmed. No Supreme Court nominees pass either. Schumer would roll tape like McConnell did after Scalia died. He says that precedent stands.

McConnell refused Merrick Garland in 2016. Schumer blocks votes now too. Optics look dramatic if a narrow Democratic majority stops a nominee. That might wear down resolve for revenge eventually. Probably not enough to move such a boycott in 2028 either.

Schumer likely refuses votes on non-judicial Trump nominees too. He holds the job of leader until he is certain of defeat votes. The instant he allows a floor vote on any major nominee, his hold vanishes unless he expects failure.

We know the hard left joins anti-defense doves in the Democratic caucus this year. Abdul El-Sayed runs in Michigan. James Talarico stands for Texas. Peggy Flanagan seeks office in Minnesota. Sherrod Brown represents Ohio. Chris Pappas campaigns in New Hampshire. Mary Peltola fights in Alaska. These six unite with others who oppose defense spending cuts.

The United States desperately needs a budgeted demand signal for its defense-industrial base, yet that lifeline is about to flicker out. American shipbuilding faces extinction too. Meanwhile, China's Communist Party celebrates while heavy government regulation of artificial intelligence and semiconductors smothers US competitors.

A blue wave election would deal severe damage. But it cannot undo everything. President Trump will keep commanding the American military without interference. The Supreme Court's slow re-mooring to the Constitution over the last decade remains intact.

This scenario is terrible news, but it does not mean the Republic falls apart. Republican candidates stand on solid ground when they warn about the chaos that follows a Democratic majority. They should avoid hysteria though. Foreign enemies hoping for a victory for Democrats must remember President George W. Bush ordered "the surge" after Republicans lost in 2006. If Iran's rump regime thinks a Democrat win saves them from Donald Trump, they are wrong.

Vote Republican to keep the country defended and the Constitution whole. Do not do it because the nation faces immediate peril. It is not there yet.

Hugh Hewitt contributes to Fox News and hosts "The Hugh Hewitt Show" weekday afternoons from 3 PM to 6 PM ET on the Salem Radio Network. The program simulcasts on Salem News Channel, reaches over 400 affiliates across the nation, and streams online. He appears frequently as a guest on Bret Baier's news roundtable at 6pm ET. Hewitt is an Ohio native who graduated from Harvard College and the University of Michigan Law School. He has taught Constitutional Law at Chapman University since 1996.

He launched his radio show in Los Angeles back in 1990. His resume includes appearances on every major national news television network, hosting shows for PBS and MSNBC, writing for all major American newspapers, and authoring a dozen books. He moderated the November 2023 Republican presidential debate in Miami plus four debates during the 2015-16 cycle. Today's column previews the lead story driving his broadcast.