Allison Jones Rushing
Allison Jones Rushing has made her extremist allegiances clear since her law school days, when she interned with known anti-LGBTQ+ hate group, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). ADF regularly belittles transgender individuals, attacks access to reproductive care, supports conversion therapy, and advocates against same-sex marriage. During her time at ADF, Rushing even co-authored articles with ADF leadership to advance these dangerous ideas.
Directly after law school, Rushing worked as a law clerk for then-Judge Neil Gorsuch, who is now a notable member of the far-right faction of the United States Supreme Court. Rushing later clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas, another heavyweight member of the Supreme Court’s billionaire-bought conservative faction. After President Trump nominated Rushing to the Fourth Circuit, Rushing has penned numerous decisions that make Trump’s authoritarian goals that much more attainable. It’s clear that Rushing’s loyalty is primarily to the conservative causes she has spent years supporting and defending, not to the rule of law or the Constitution.
- Staunchly opposed to LGBTQ+ rights. Rushing participated in a panel at Capitol Hill Baptist Church where she made clear that she does not stand with the LGBTQ+ community. More specifically, throughout the panel Rushing frequently referenced Justice Antonin Scalia’s opinion that the holding in United States v. Windsor, the landmark case that allowed for federal legal recognition of same-sex marriages, strayed from “traditional” concepts of marriage and morality. She defended the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the legislation that Windsor struck down, arguing that it had a valid basis and was motivated by something “other than hatred.”
- Repeatedly sided with Trump on cuts and anti-DEI efforts. Rushing entered an order that sanctioned the termination of thousands of probationary employees without notice. Her decision even stopped the states from being able to seek accountability for their residents. Rushing also allowed Trump’s anti-DEI policies to remain in effect during litigation. It’s obvious that Rushing’s judicial philosophy can be simplified into one guiding principle: support Trump’s harmful and illegal actions at any cost.
