The Wall Street Journal ran an in-depth report on Justice Samuel Alito’s interviews with many members of the publication’s staff on Friday. Hearing it from Alito himself had a profound effect, even though much of what the justices went through was public knowledge. He authored the decision in Dobbs v. Jackson, the case that ultimately resulted in the reversal of Roe v. Wade. Leaks of the ruling on May 2 brought conservative justices like Alito into the spotlight before the formal publication date of June 24.
The left, despite these judges’ trauma, continues to insult them. It’s regrettable that the U.S. Supreme Court is seen as a sham, but Alito’s claim that they aren’t safe enough is correct. Alex Wagner did it on Friday night’s episode of “Alex Wagner Tonight” on MSNBC, just after the Wall Street Journal piece was published.
Alex Christy of NewsBusters thinks Wagner’s statements are completely ludicrous. Wagner objected to more than just the title “Justice Samuel Alito: ‘This Made Us Targets of Assassination,'” which highlighted Alito’s words. In addition, she spoke about a court case concerning an abortion pill. Whether or not the FDA made a mistake when it approved mifepristone in 2000 is at the heart of this complaint. After U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk ruled last month that the FDA had broken rules, the case was appealed to the Supreme Court and is currently on hold while the high court deliberates.
I realize that I have disturbed you, Justice Alito. Millions of women in the United States have the option of accessing the most common type of abortion, but this is entirely discretionary. For some reason, Wagner just couldn’t bring himself to use the word “women,” instead he said, “Sorry to bother you” in an extremely annoying tone.
Christy puts it perfectly: Wagner’s statement about “people with uteruses” wasn’t the worst part of his speech. The truth was that she really didn’t care one way or the other about Alito’s fate.
Wagner did make the positive declaration, “Physical threats against anyone are wrong.” As so, she should have seen the error of her ways. Unauthorized demonstrators briefly drove Alito out of his house. He spoke to crowds from a safe distance. These are the opinions expressed by the Wall Street Journal:
Alito responded, “I don’t feel physically unsafe, because we now have a lot of protection.” Then he says, “I’m driven around in what amounts to a tank,” adding, “and I’m not supposed to go anywhere without the tank and my police officers.” U.S. agents and their deputies keep a close eye on the judges’ homes. The U.S. Marshals Service is part of the Justice Department. Different from the chief of the Supreme Court Police, who serves at the pleasure of the judges, is the marshal of the court.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh was the target of an assassination attempt. Despite federal charges, Nicholas Roske insists he is innocent. Even worse, he may have singled out conservative judges as a special target.
During her tirade, Wagner disregarded Alito’s fears for his safety. Perhaps she didn’t pay enough attention to the Wall Street Journal piece.
In his tirade against Alito, Wagner was most worried that the Supreme Court would be derided as a “farce.” For instance, Wagner’s statement, “Let’s be clear: making physical threats against anyone is wrong,” fits this description well. However, that’s not the main point of this chat. For Justice Alito, even the hint of criticism of the Supreme Court is intolerable.
As Alito put it, “this kind of coordinated attack on the Court and on individual justices is new during my lifetime.” Wagner singled this up as his top priority. We suffer blows every day that, in my opinion, have no basis in reality. And no one is fighting on our side, or at least not very many. In Alito’s words, this “makes it harder for people to trust the government.”
Since the Biden administration didn’t care one iota about protecting the country, the statement that “nobody, practically nobody is defending us” is accurate. The justices’ safety was compromised by the leak, but the White House nevertheless prioritized the overturning of Roe. And then White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki claimed they “encourage” unlawful protests as long as they are “peaceful.”
The Wall Street Journal went on to note that other concerns of the Biden administration, such as the lack of actual law enforcement, were also justified.
Picketing or parading “in or near” the home of a federal judge “with the intent to influence” him “in the performance of his duty” is prohibited by Title 18, Section 1507 of the United States Code.” Last month, Attorney General Merrick Garland told Senator Mike Lee (R., Utah) that marshals had “full authority to arrest” anybody who violates Section 1507. Training slides found by Alabama Republican Senator Katie Britt warn that guards stationed outside the houses of the justices should only use force “as a last resort to prevent physical harm to the Justices and/or their families.”
Wagner, however, refrained from participating in the discussion. It’s a lot of reading, but learning the whole story is important. Wagner’s audience deserves more openness, not less. Alito is quoted further by the Wall Street Journal as saying:
Critics on the left have upped their attacks on the court’s “legitimacy,” sometimes going so far as to challenge the integrity of individual justices, as the court has shifted to the right over the past several years. The media’s coverage has been extremely helpful, and the Democratic establishment has remained mute.
In his words, “this kind of coordinated attack on the court and on individual justices is new during my lifetime.” We have to take a lot of criticism, most of which is unwarranted, on the chin every day. And almost nobody is fighting for our freedom. It’s common knowledge that judges shouldn’t take criticism personally, but the organized bar will defend the courts if they’re treated unfairly. He then summed up his findings by saying, “If anything,” adding, “They’ve helped in some way with these attacks.”
If judges do nothing, the attacks are upheld. This places them in a tough situation. If they do, the atmosphere of mystery surrounding judicial rulings will be eroded. The “ethics” claims made by the political media against Justice Clarence Thomas have been met with silence by Justice Alito, who has stated, “I’ll stay away from that.” Though he doesn’t go into much detail, he does bring up a scandal from the past: “When Justice Kavanaugh was accused of being a rapist during his Senate confirmation hearings, he made a passionate speech and a passionate scene.” People felt a judge shouldn’t sound so casual, so they turned on him. What should I do if I am falsely accused of rape?
People who have been wrongfully accused will say the judges’ own dirty hands are proof they are innocent. Justice Alito responded, “We’re receiving this all the time, and then those who oppose us say, ‘Look how unpopular they are. Think about how far they’ve plummeted in popularity. Can you really blame people for becoming tired of hearing, “They are fakes.They’re taking part in some dubious activities. Look at what they’re up to now!
Justice Alito claims that this undermines people’s faith in the government. Claiming the court is not a legitimate institution is a different matter from arguing that it is wrong. It’s possible that the White House and both chambers of Congress feel the same way. Any attack on the legitimacy of the three pillars of government is an assault on the very concept of a free and independent nation.
Former Senator Al Franken (D-MN) agreed with Alito on a recent episode of “The Al Franken Podcast,” stating, “the court is a very divided institution right now.” My lack of trust in the Supreme Court extends to Chief Justice John Roberts, whom I have called a “villain.” Franken’s resignation was well publicized, so his views may not carry as much weight as he’d want.
Christy pointed out that Wagner’s major complaint was the left’s attacks on the ethical attitudes of Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-IL) asked Roberts to address these issues during a committee hearing. Given the rarity of the request, Chief Justice Roberts addressed a letter to the chairman clarifying the separation of powers and instructing him to stay out of court matters. Dems, on the other hand, are so concerned that they’ll be having a meeting on Tuesday to discuss how weak and predictable Wagner’s concerns are.