Supreme Court justices Sotomayor and Kagan say partisanship hurts court integrity
Elena Kagan '81, Sonia Sotomayor '76; moderator Heather gerken '91,She Roars Conference, Jadwin Gym. (Photo courtesy of Princeton University)
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.
WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.
What Trump’s decision to wade into spending fight tells us about the next 4 years
The president-elect successfully pushed House Republicans to jettison some spending from a a budget deal, but he failed to achieve his goal of raising the debt limit.
4 hours ago
An architect designed custom clocks for Pennsylvania’s Capitol a century ago. They’re still ticking
Visitors are drawn to the building's polished marble, intricate carvings — and 273 antique clocks that were part of the original design.
5 hours ago
Government shutdown is averted just after deadline as Congress rejects Trump’s debt limit demands
The bill would temporarily fund federal operations and disaster aid, but drops President-elect Donald Trump's demands for a debt limit increase into the new year.
1 day ago