The Bulwark Podcast Melissa Murray: Reclaim the Constitution
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May 5, 2026 
Melissa Murray, NYU law professor, co-host of Strict Scrutiny, and author of an annotated Constitution guide. She discusses the Voting Rights Act ruling and Reconstruction amendments. She unpacks the mifepristone fight and the rise of the shadow docket. She explores war powers, press freedoms under pressure, and practical reforms like gerrymandering fixes and statehood.
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Constitution As A Limit On Power
- The Constitution's core purpose is limiting government power to prevent tyranny.
- Melissa Murray argues current institutions (executive, Supreme Court, passive Congress) are failing those restraints, so citizens must reclaim constitutional understanding.
Why The Book Started From A Twitter Thread
- Murray began the book partly after seeing social media threads where people asked for presidential actions that the Constitution doesn't authorize.
- She used a sabbatical to write a practical explainer so citizens like 'Uncle Luke' understand limits on presidential power.
Court's Colorblind Ruling Undermines Voting Rights
- The Supreme Court's recent Voting Rights Act decision embraces a colorblind 14th Amendment that contradicts Reconstruction history.
- Murray calls the ruling 'bonkers' because it treats race-conscious remedies as racial discrimination, undermining multiracial democracy.
