Where this was said
Susan Collins, Kavanaugh, and the Lie About Roe
At 1:05:08 · chapter starts 1:03:40
Dan plays a clip of Susan Collins arguing on Fox News that Roe would have been overturned 6-3 with or without Kavanaugh. Leah dismantles this in seconds: Chief Justice Roberts did not vote to overrule Roe — he voted to narrow it, not eliminate it [1] — Leah Litman "Susan Collins claimed on Fox News that Roe would have been overturned regardless of her vote for Kavanaugh because of the 6-3 vote. Wrong: …" 1:04:30 . The Dobbs majority was exactly five justices. Collins confirmed the fifth. Her claim is simply, factually wrong. But Leah's deeper contempt is for the framing itself — 'I disagree with the outcome, I don't regret my vote' — which requires pretending that Brett Kavanaugh has done something worth the documented loss of women's lives, fertility, and health in post-Roe America [2] — Leah Litman "Had Justice Kavanaugh not been confirmed, there were not 5 votes to overrule Roe v. Wade. Chief Justice Roberts did not vote to overrule Ro…" 1:05:08 . The discussion closes on the Maine Senate race where Graham Plattner is running against Collins, and the broader accountability opportunity the 2026 midterms represent.
Susan Collins claimed on Fox News that Roe would have been overturned regardless of her vote for Kavanaugh because of the 6-3 vote. Wrong: Roberts did not vote to overrule Roe — only five justices did. Collins confirmed the fifth.
Susan Collins falsely claimed Roe would have been overturned regardless of her Kavanaugh vote; in fact, Chief Justice Roberts did not vote to overturn Roe, making Kavanaugh the decisive 5th vote.
Four years after Dobbs, pro-choice identification is at an all-time high and hasn't dropped. Dan Pfeiffer argues the 2024 result was a one-off shaped by unique circumstances; Leah Litman worries the misogyny Americans tolerate may prevent real electoral accountability.
