U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said on Thursday attacks by Republican President Donald Trump and his allies on judges were "not random" and seemed "designed to intimidate the judiciary."
U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts rebuked Trump in March for urging the impeachment of a federal judge, laying bare tensions between the country's executive and the judiciary as Trump's sweeping assertions of power encounter judicial obstacles.
"The attacks are not random. They seem designed to intimidate those of us who serve in this critical capacity," Jackson said at a judges' conference in Puerto Rico.
Federal judges have said the Trump administration has failed to comply with court orders regarding foreign aid, federal spending and the firing of government workers. The administration disputes it has defied judges but has been critical of orders and judges that have blocked its actions.
"The threats and harassment are attacks on our democracy, on our system of government. And they ultimately risk undermining our Constitution and the rule of law," Jackson said.
Jackson, an appointee of former Democratic President Joe Biden, did not mention Trump by name but spoke about "the elephant in the room."
Her comments were cited in media reports from Politico and the New York Times, with Politico noting that her comments got a standing ovation.
The combative atmosphere under the Trump administration has raised concerns among some legal experts of a potential constitutional crisis.
The Supreme Court has a 6-3 conservative majority.
© Thomson Reuters 2025.
14 Comments
I'veSeenFootage
Anyone who justifies or tries to defend the wanton attacks of a president on independent judges should immediately move to Turkey or Russia, because they do not share the democratic values and morals all the rest of us do.
HopeSpringsEternal
About 90% of US Citizens (NYT poll this month) want Illegal Alien Gang Members Deported from US and yet this week 2 US District Court Judges have been arrested for illegally assisting Illegal Alien Gang Members.
Apparently, these Judges do not believe in Federal Govt's "Supremacy Clause" and are now correctly removed from the 'bench', and charged with appropriate crimes by the US Attorney General Pam Bondi
Nibek32
The US system is not setup to support dictators. Trump is struggling with that.
lincolnman
Good for her...
As we saw on another article here on JT roday EVEN TRUMP'S OWN APPOINTED JUDGES are ruling against him...
Our judges are proving the wisdom of our founders - who rebelled against a King and enshrined in the Constitution provisions to ensure our democracy is protected from wanna-be fascist tyrants...especially Orange ones...
Wasabi
Good, now do something about it.
HopeSpringsEternal
US Citizens do not want US District Court Judges Breaking the LAW to defend the rights of Illegal Alien gang Members designated as Terrorists.
It's not Right or Left, rather Common Sense!
BB
Trump is trying to eliminate all checks and balances on his power. He wants everyone to be simpering sycophants, as he gets with his cabinet and MAGA.
bass4funk
He’s not struggling with that, because when it comes to the dissent Alito and Thomas are siding more with the executive. Once the SC gets all these cases, but particularly when it comes to illegals, they will side with the executive.
Exactly.
patkim
Trump simply doesn't understand the system of checks and balances. Neither one of the branches should have sole power over the rule of America. It is what democracy is about.
If anything, it's Trump who should be impeached. He absolutely does not understand how to run this country. Also, he is obviously becoming senile. Take for instance the town hall interview he had recently on News Nation, where he was asked by Stephen A. Smith "What do you say to people who may view your actions against Harvard as an attack on academic freedom?", all Trump could reply with was a speech about riots in Harlem (which never happened), and would go on to say "I got a really high Black vote" which was totally irrelevant to the question.
HopeSpringsEternal
Turns out Judges can break the law as well, as they're humans. Most do not know, but Judges can also be 'impeached' just like Presidents and it seems likely that these two Judges from NM and WI will be impeached.
As aiding and abetting criminals, whether illegal aliens or not, is a crime, for those that believe in the rule of law.
I'veSeenFootage
Or his interview with Time magazine.
Journalist: You were harshly critical of what you called the weaponization of the Justice System under Biden. You recently signed memos—
Trump: Well, sure, but you wouldn’t be—if this were Biden, well, first of all, he wouldn't do an interview because he was grossly incompetent.
Journalist: We spoke to him last year, Mr. President.
Trump: Huh?
Journalist: We spoke to him a year ago.
Trump: How did he do?
Journalist: You can read the interview yourself.
Trump: Not too good. I did read the interview. He didn't do well. He didn't do well at all. He didn't do well at anything. And he cut that interview off to being a matter of minutes, and you weren't asking him questions like you're asking me.
↑Very obiously senile man. Can't remember what he said mere secondes ago.
HopeSpringsEternal
It's odd that Judge Jackson would speak out, given that these Judges clearly broke the law and are now busy correctly facing charges in courts.
Entire country observed weaponization of the US Justice Dept. against then Candidate Donald Trump, if anyone has a right to have a gripe against Judges it would be now President Trump. Voters agreed and re-elected him!
Cephus
"Entire country observed weaponization of the US Justice Dept. against then Candidate Donald Trump, if anyone has a right to have a gripe against Judges it would be now President Trump. Voters agreed and re-elected him!"
I do agree, but the worst thing was having a former prosecutor and her attorney husband in the Vice President mansion the designers and originators of the lawfare. Justice Jackson just joined the echo chamber
Peter14
The US constitution is designed with safeguards to ensure no single person including a president, has a free hand to rule simply by decree.
There are branches in the US government and all is based upon the central pillar of the rule of law. Laws that ensure rights of individuals and entities are observed and conformed to.
Each branch of the US governmental system has powers, obligations and scope of responsibilities. The Supreme court is the backstop of the laws of the land and assists with technical clarity and determinations in individual cases.
Trump has been abusing the executive branch and over stepping its scope of authority, encroaching into the other branches areas of power and responsibilities, and has been dictating to all of government without regard to established protocols, without actually altering laws or the constitution to back up his sweeping overreach of the executive powers.
Trump attempting to subvert, influence and ignore the independence and authority of the judiciary is clearly illegal and could be sufficient for yet another call for impeachment. Trump like all others is bound to obey the outcomes of the judiciary. Failure to do so is evidence of the loss of liberties and freedoms in America. A loss of the pillar of law and its replacement by decree;s from a single individual who has placed those loyal to him alone, into positions of power and influence to carry out his illegal orders, that contravene the laws and spirit of the US constitution.
It is right for those in the judiciary who are not under personal control of Trump to speak up and point out his administrations overreach and failure to follow legal orders given by thre branch of government designed to uphold the rule of and application of the laws of the United States of America.