Recent Supreme Court decisions show it can be hard for presidents to dictate its direction

President Trump and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden have both made shaping the Supreme Court’s agenda central to their campaign pitches, with Biden promising to appoint the first black woman and someone who embraces abortion rights to the bench, while Trump has warned of an end to conservative governance if Biden has his way.

But a series of liberal decisions by the conservative-led Supreme Court this week is showcasing the shakiness of such promises, in an era when candidates of both parties are making increasingly explicit pledges to name...