On Sunday, conservative Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett denied claims that the decisions from the high court are influenced by partisan views.
“My goal today is to convince you that this court is not comprised of a bunch of partisan hacks,” Barrett said at a speech at the University of Louisville’s McConnell Center. “Judicial philosophies are not the same as political parties.”
Barrett’s speech came just a few weeks after the Supreme Court issued a series of controversial decisions.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court allowed Texas to let private citizens sue to enforce its ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, possibly creating a new example for other conservative states to mandate strict restrictions on abortion.
Last month, the Supreme Court had also blocked the Biden administration’s new eviction freeze, leaving millions of Americans at risk of becoming homeless amid the resurging COVID-19 cases.
Barrett voted with the majority in these two decisions.
Throughout her remarks, she blamed the media and social media for making it look like the decisions were motivated by partisan favoritism.
“The media, along with hot takes on Twitter, report the results and decisions,” Barrett said. “That makes the decision seem results-oriented. It leaves the reader to judge whether the court was right or wrong, based on whether she liked the results of the decision.”
