Who are the 4 horsemen of the Supreme Court?
Asked by: Millie Wilderman | Last update: February 8, 2026Score: 4.2/5 (27 votes)
The "Four Horsemen of the Supreme Court" were four conservative justices—Pierce Butler, James Clark McReynolds, George Sutherland, and Willis Van Devanter—who famously opposed President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal legislation in the 1930s, repeatedly voting to strike down key programs as unconstitutional, earning them their nickname from the press.
Who are the four horsemen of the Supreme Court?
From 1932 to 1937, the Supreme Court had a conservative bloc called “The Four Horsemen”: Associate Justices Pierce Butler, James Clark McReynolds, George Sutherland, and Willis Van Devanter.
Can the president remove justices from the Supreme Court?
No, a President cannot remove a Supreme Court Justice; only Congress has the power to do so through the impeachment process (House impeaches, Senate convicts) for "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors," ensuring judicial independence and lifetime tenure ("good behavior") for Article III judges.
What do the 4 horsemen represent?
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, from the Book of Revelation, represent divine judgment and catastrophic events: Conquest/Pestilence (white horse, bow, crown), War (red horse, sword, taking peace), Famine (black horse, scales, scarcity), and Death (pale horse, Hades), symbolizing the destructive forces unleashed at the end of times, often interpreted as war, famine, plague, and general destruction.
Can the president change the number of Supreme Court justices?
No, the President cannot directly change the number of Supreme Court Justices; only Congress has that power by passing a law, but the President must sign that law for it to take effect, meaning both branches must agree, as seen with the Judiciary Act of 1869 fixing the number at nine. While presidents appoint justices, they can only fill existing vacancies or new ones Congress creates, as the Constitution doesn't set the court's size, allowing Congress to adjust it as a legislative check.
Why Are There Nine SCOTUS Justices? The History and Future of Court Packing
Can the President overrule a Supreme Court decision?
No, the President cannot directly overturn a Supreme Court decision; only the Court itself (through a new ruling), the Constitution (via amendment), or new legislation by Congress can overturn a major ruling, though Presidents can try to influence future decisions by appointing new justices or challenge rulings through appeals, and historically, some have selectively enforced or ignored certain rulings, as seen with Lincoln and the Dred Scott case.
Who can remove the judge from the Supreme Court?
Only the U.S. Congress, through the impeachment process, can remove a U.S. Supreme Court Justice, requiring the House of Representatives to impeach (majority vote) and the Senate to convict (two-thirds vote) for "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors," granting them lifetime appointments ("good behavior").
Why are they called the four horsemen?
The four horsemen of the apocalypse are four biblical figures who appear in the Book of Revelation. They are revealed by the unsealing of the first four of the seven seals. Each of the horsemen represents a different facet of the apocalypse: conquest, war, famine, and death.
Who is the most powerful horseman?
The strongest Horseman is generally considered to be Death, the Pale Rider, as he is often depicted as the eldest, most powerful, and nearly invincible, leading the others in both religious texts (like Revelation, where he follows Hell) and popular adaptations like Darksiders. While other interpretations, like in Chainsaw Man, might rank others like the Death Devil higher, within the classic apocalyptic lore and Darksiders universe, Death's immense power and role as the ultimate end make him supreme.
Who is the man on the white horse in Revelation 6/2?
John describes the first horseman as riding a white horse and carrying a bow. He received a crown, and he conquered. Interpreters vary on the identity of this rider. Some believe this rider is Christ, because he rides a white horse and wears a crown.
Can a president force a Supreme Court justice to resign?
The Constitution states that Justices "shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour." This means that the Justices hold office as long as they choose and can only be removed from office by impeachment.
Who can impeach Donald Trump?
Impeachment begins in the House of Representatives, where articles of impeachment are drawn up. These articles are then voted on by House members. Each article is voted on separately and requires a simple majority to pass. Once an article has been passed in the House, the president has been impeached.
How did Trump appoint so many Supreme Court justices?
The Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Barrett confirmations were enabled by a rule change made by Senate Republicans in 2017, which applied the 'nuclear option' to Supreme Court nominees and allowed nominations to be advanced by a simple majority vote rather than the historical norm of a three-fifths supermajority vote.
Who appointed more judges, Trump or Obama?
While President Obama appointed more judges overall (around 330-334) across his two terms compared to Donald Trump's single term (around 226-245), Trump appointed a higher proportion of powerful appellate court judges and more Supreme Court justices (three vs. Obama's two), significantly shifting the courts' ideological balance, especially the circuit courts.
Who is the most powerful judge in the United States?
The most powerful judge in the United States is generally considered to be the Chief Justice of the United States, currently John G. Roberts, Jr., because he leads the Supreme Court, heads the entire federal judiciary, and holds significant influence in shaping legal precedent and the Court's direction, even if his vote is just one of nine. His power comes from judicial leadership, managing close cases, and influencing the institutional reputation of the Supreme Court.
Why didn't Obama get to nominate a Supreme Court judge?
With the death of Antonin Scalia in February 2016 in the beginning of a presidential election year, the Republican majority in the Senate made it their stated policy to refuse to consider any nominee to the Supreme Court, arguing that the next president should be the one to appoint Scalia's replacement.
Which horseman is Jesus?
Some interpretations identify the four horsemen of the apocalypse's first horseman, the rider of the white horse, as Jesus Christ.
Which actor was the best horseman?
From 1968 to 1970, Robertson was the fourth and final host of the anthology series Death Valley Days. Described by Time magazine in 1959 as "probably the best horseman on television", for most of his career, Robertson played in Western films and television shows—well over 60 titles in all.
Is there a fifth horseman?
While the Bible traditionally lists four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (Conquest/Pestilence, War, Famine, Death) in Revelation 6, many interpretations introduce a fifth, often identified as Jesus Christ returning on a white horse in Revelation 19, representing ultimate judgment and the establishment of God's kingdom. Other interpretations suggest figures like Fear, Debt, or Humanity itself as modern "fifth horsemen," alongside numerous books, games, and pop culture references.
What does God say about the four horsemen?
Revelation 6 tells of a book or scroll in God's right hand that is sealed with seven seals. The Lamb of God/Lion of Judah opens the first four of the seven seals, which summons four beings that ride out on white, red, black, and pale horses. All of the horsemen save for Death are portrayed as being human in appearance.
What does Jesus riding on a white horse mean?
He rides a white horse because a white horse is a symbol for victory. He is victorious before the battle even starts because he already defeated death in his resurrection.
What is the opposite of the Four Horsemen?
Surrender, Peace, Abundance and Life. Those're their antonyms, at any rate.
Who can override the Supreme Court?
A Supreme Court decision can be overturned by another Supreme Court ruling (a new case), a Constitutional Amendment, or if the ruling interpreted a federal statute, by Congress passing a new law. While the President can't overturn a decision directly, they influence future courts through appointments, and Congress can pass legislation to clarify or change laws interpreted by the Court.
Can voters remove a Supreme Court judge?
Article II of the California Constitution, approved by California voters in 1911, allows people to recall and remove elected officials and justices of the State Supreme Court from office.
Does the president have control of the Supreme Court?
The president nominates Supreme Court justices, but the Senate has the sole power to confirm those appointments.