Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito warned Sunday that there is a "concerted effort" to intimidate the nation's highest court, arguing that political pressure and public criticism threaten the institution's long-term standing. His comments come as the court faces renewed scrutiny over ethics, judicial independence and several high-profile rulings involving President Donald Trump's administration. Progressives and some Democratic lawmakers have advocated measures ranging from ethics reforms to term limits and court expansion, arguing the court's conservative 6-3 majority has wielded outsized influence over national policy.
Critics have also challenged the court's growing use of its emergency docket, often called the "shadow docket," to make consequential decisions outside the normal appeals process. Public confidence in the court has declined in recent years. A Gallup poll last month showed that only 34 percent of Americans said they approve, while 61 percent disapprove, of the High Court.
Views of the court fall largely on partisan lines. While 65 percent of Republicans approve of the court, only 12 percent of Democrats and 31 percent of independents approve, according to the poll. It surveyed 1,000 adults from September 1 to 17, 2026 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Alito acknowledged concerns about the court's standing, saying he worries about the impact of escalating rhetoric directed at both the institution and individual justices. The justice, who was appointed by former President George W. Bush, added that while the court "has not always done the right thing," it has been "fundamental in protecting our constitutional structure and the rights that all Americans enjoy." The justice also expressed concern about criticism the court has received from prominent political figures.
"I am concerned about the escalation in public rhetoric in general and about the things that people in important positions say about the Supreme Court as a whole and about individual justices," he said. Trump has recently grown increasingly frustrated with the justices he appointed to court, accusing them of disloyalty after a string of landmark rulings went against his administration. After the court struck down his sweeping tariffs in February, he said the justices in the majority were "very unpatriotic and disloyal to our Constitution." Chief Justice John Roberts has previously defended judicial independence against attacks from elected officials, while several justices have publicly spoken about maintaining confidence in the judicial branch.
Newsweek reached out to the Supreme Court for comment Sunday by email. The court begins its new term on Monday amid continued controversy over its decisions and internal operations. Critics of the court's conservative majority have argued decisions involving abortion, executive power, voting rights and immigration have expanded the influence of Republican-appointed justices, while supporters have defended the rulings as faithful interpretations of the Constitution.
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