Supreme Court justices Sotomayor and Kagan say partisanship hurts court integrity

Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor are raising concerns about partisanship on the high court.

Kagan and Sotomayor spoke Friday at an event at Princeton University.

Without mentioning President Donald Trump or Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, the justices responded to a question about the politics of the moment.

Kagan says there had traditionally been a “middle” of the court and it’s not clear there will be going forward. She says it’s important for the court to guard its legitimacy, or the public could lose respect for it.

Sotomayor says it’s important for the justices to rise above partisanship and treat one another with respect and dignity.

Kagan and Sotomayor are both Princeton graduates. Both were appointed by Democratic President Barack Obama. Sotomayor was appointed and confirmed in 2009. Kagan joined the court in 2010.