United States: Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson stated on Thursday that attacks from Republican President Donald Trump and his supporters against the judiciary were purposefully meant to frighten judicial officials, as reported by Reuters.
Tensions Rise Between Branches of Government
Chief Justice John Roberts of the U.S. rebuked Donald Trump in March as the President pushed to impeach a federal judge, thus exposing mounting conflicts between the nation’s judiciary and executive branches during Trump’s expansive assertion of executive power.
“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.
Democracy Under Pressure
Federal judges declared Trump’s administration noncompliant with court mandates that involve international aid together with federal budget and personnel dismissals. The administration denies defying court orders yet has criticized legal restrictions that have stopped its operational moves.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said on Thursday attacks by President Donald Trump and his allies on judges were “not random” and seemed “designed to intimidate the judiciary.” https://t.co/lTD5tftC2B
— NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) May 2, 2025
“The threats and harassment are attacks on our democracy, our system of government. And they ultimately risk undermining our Constitution and the rule of law,” Jackson said.
During her congressional testimony before senators, Jackson pointed to “the elephant in the room” without directly naming Trump, even though she served under former President Joe Biden.
Legal Experts Warn of Possible Constitutional Crisis
Media reports from Politico and the New York Times mentioned her speech, which received standing applause, according to Politico, as reported by Reuters.
The aggressive standoff between the Trump administration has led certain legal professionals to fear that the situation might develop into a constitutional crisis.
A 6-3 majority of conservatives currently serve on the Supreme Court.