Kagan Defends 9-Member Supreme Court Against Trump Deference Claims
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 23
Kagan Defends 9-Member Supreme Court Against Trump Deference Claims
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 23
Summary
Justice Elena Kagan said the Supreme Court is not a “puppet” for President Trump, pushing back on claims that the conservative-majority bench has been overly deferential to his administration.
Speaking at a Ninth Circuit judicial gathering in Washington State, Kagan said the court is “very conservative” and has issued rulings she sees as deeply wrong, but argued that does not make it subservient to Trump.
Her remarks come as polls show declining public trust in the court and as several justices have used public appearances to counter perceptions that the institution has become political.
The comments from one of the court’s three liberal justices offered a rare public defense of her conservative colleagues and of the court’s institutional independence.