The Slatest for Feb. 8: The Supreme Court Sides With Trump

It seems pretty clear that the Supreme Court isn’t going to let individual states like Colorado remove Donald Trump from the ballot in 2024. During oral arguments in Trump v. Anderson on Thursday, the justices really were not buying the theory that the former president could be disqualified for “engaging in insurrection.”

“The only real question is what rationale the court will use to reject that theory,” Mark Joseph Stern writes. He takes a look at the most likely one the justices will go with—and explains why even Ketanji Brown Jackson is siding with Trump in this case.

But the specific way the court writes its decision could open the door to chaos down the road, Richard L. Hasen warns. He outlines the potential dangers.

Plus, in case you missed it: Mark A. Graber reflects on how wild part of Trump’s argument was. (It posited that Jefferson Davis wasn’t an insurrectionist, either.)

The border deal may have died in the Senate, but it wasn’t a complete waste of time. Jim Newell explains how this whole fiasco revealed the only compromise that has a flying chance.

Joe Biden has plenty going for him heading into the 2024 presidential election. “On the other hand, Democrats also experience every second that Biden opens his mouth as a cliff’s-edge moment of sheer terror,” Ben Mathis-Lilley writes. He takes a look at some of Biden’s worrying recent gaffes.

Adam Schiff is engaging in a sneaky campaign tactic that’s a danger to all Democrats except himself. Alexander Sammon explains why Dems ought to beware.

Like … will Barron Trump ever stop growing? He is already so tall. Heather Schwedel consulted some experts to find out.

Couldn’t find an official clip of “Fast Car” after the Grammys? You’re not alone! Nitish Pahwa explains why the awards show made it impossible to share videos of the night.

The nominations for Best Documentary are the best they’ve ever been. Sam Adams examines why that hasn’t stopped traditionalists from complaining.

What would the U.S. be like if Native Americans held on to power? Laura Miller spoke to Francis Spufford, author of the alternate-history mystery novel Cahokia Jazz, which explores those possibilities.

Don’t miss Slate copy chief Sarah Rutledge’s close reading of the use of punctuation in Taylor Swift’s new album title—it’s lowkey poetry in itself.

Thanks so much for reading! We’ll see you back here tomorrow.