Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett didn’t hold back when she defended her pointed criticism of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson during a rare public event in New York.
At the Lincoln Center in Manhattan, Barrett addressed a packed auditorium for over an hour, discussing her controversial majority opinion on universal injunctions while promoting her new book, "Listening to the Law."
Fox News reported that this event, hosted by Bari Weiss of the Free Press, saw Barrett, a Trump appointee, dive into the contentious issue of emergency rulings, particularly her June opinion in the high-profile Trump v. CASA case, where the Supreme Court curbed lower courts’ ability to impose sweeping injunctions against government policies.
Universal injunctions, often used to block key policies during the Trump administration, only to be overturned by the Supreme Court on its emergency docket, have sparked heated debate about judicial overreach.
In her majority opinion, Barrett took a sharp jab at Jackson, accusing her of endorsing an “imperial judiciary” with an overly expansive view of judicial power.
“We just disagreed about the scope of judicial power,” Barrett stated, framing the clash as a principled stand rather than a personal spat.
Yet, Barrett was quick to soften the blow, insisting, “I have the deepest respect for Jackson.”
That respect, however, didn’t stop her from delivering a spicy retort in her opinion, which she justified by saying, “I thought Justice Jackson had made an argument in strong terms that I thought warranted a response.”
Let’s be honest—while Barrett claims she’s not “spicy for the sake of being spicy,” her New Orleans roots and a dash of Tabasco clearly flavored her words, and conservatives might appreciate the pushback against what many see as progressive overreach in the judiciary.
During a “lightning round” of questions, Barrett described her fellow justices in single words, calling Chief Justice John Roberts “Chief,” Justice Neil Gorsuch “out west,” Justice Brett Kavanaugh “sports, and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson “actor, Broadway.”
That playful jab at Jackson’s theatrical flair might raise eyebrows, but it also humanizes a court often seen as detached, reminding us that even justices can share a lighter side.
Still, for those wary of an activist bench, Barrett’s firm stance in curbing universal injunctions signals a welcome check on judges who seem too eager to rewrite policy from the bench.
Barrett, often watched closely for her occasional breaks from her conservative colleagues, used this platform to clarify her approach, stating, “I set the calibration right” in her majority opinion.
Her nod to the late Justice Antonin Scalia, with the borrowed wisdom, “I attack ideas. I don’t attack people,” underscores a commitment to robust debate without descending into personal vendettas—a principle too often lost in today’s polarized climate.
For conservatives frustrated with a judiciary that sometimes feels like a second legislature, Barrett’s words and actions offer a reassuring blend of restraint and resolve, even if her critiques come with a Creole kick.