Textualism and judicial restraint and federalism were not actual beliefs that were held or applied in any intellectually honest way. They were solely instrumental positions, adopted because they produced the desired outcomes. The instant there was a conflict between philosophy and the interests of the party, all schools of judicial thought were instantaneously jettisoned.

I mean, the current court is happily eviscerating the foundational principle of the Constitutional order, divided government, in order to serve Trump more faithfully. The upholding of birthright citizenship is a limited and temporary bowing to the crystal clear text of the Constitution and the remaining very faint glimmers of conscience that a few of the Republican judges still have. But soon enough Roberts will convince himself that he can kick that over as well, or another more modern and even less principled Republican will join the bench and render his very occasional spasms of honesty against the desires of the party moot.