Amy Coney Barrett Discusses Public Views of Supreme Court Partisanship at Book Event

Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett argued that much of the public misunderstands the Supreme Court as partisan during a book tour event at the George W. Bush Presidential Center. She addressed the deteriorating image of the Supreme Court as shown in polls over polarization fears, stating that such views bother her because they are not accurate.

Barrett said, 'It bothers me because it’s not accurate. Criticism of the court doesn’t bother me. She added that the idea that the Supreme Court is partisan is 'not consistent with the data,' and emphasized that this narrative persists despite evidence to the contrary.

Reflecting on media coverage, Barrett criticized what she described as a 'bait and switch' where major court cases are hyped beforehand but dropped if the ruling does not follow an ideological split. She said, 'You have this phenomenon where at the beginning of the term, the media will say, ‘Here are the cases to watch,’ and they’ll list a couple big cases.

Barrett continued, 'But the thing about the partisan breakdown is that’s just not true, and those same numbers have continued to play out over the ensuing years.

Barrett urged critical reading of court coverage, stating, 'I think you have to read very critically about the court. She related a time when her law students voiced strong opinions on Supreme Court cases, but almost none had read the opinions when pressed. In her remarks, Barrett reflected on her experiences balancing her job with motherhood.

She stressed the court's role in protecting the rule of law, saying, 'Sometimes protecting the rule of law is not about a result. It’s often that’s usually the least important thing in protecting the rule of law because it is about following the reasoning where it goes. Washington Examiner reported that the Supreme Court secured a conservative majority in 2020.