Ketanji Brown Jackson Warns About Threats to U.S. Democracy Under Trump

INDIANAPOLIS — Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson voiced deep concern about the state of American democracy on Thursday, warning that the nation’s political future keeps her up at night.

Speaking at an event hosted by the Indianapolis Bar Association, the liberal justice responded candidly when asked what worries her most.

“The state of our democracy,” Jackson answered. “I’m really very interested in getting people to focus and to invest and to pay attention to what is happening in our country and in our government.”

Though she didn’t elaborate further, Jackson’s comment reflects a growing alarm from many legal scholars and civil servants about rising threats to U.S. democratic institutions under the renewed Trump administration.

Leading Voice of Dissent

During the court’s most recent term, which ended June 27, Jackson authored 24 opinions, more than any other justice, and delivered the highest number of dissenting opinions, according to a SCOTUSblog analysis.

She explained her approach to dissenting: “I feel like I might have something to offer, and something to add, and I’m not afraid to use my voice.”

Jackson stood alone in dissent in the court’s emergency ruling allowing President Donald Trump to carry out mass firings across the federal government.

“This Court sees fit to step in now and release the President’s wrecking ball at the outset of this litigation,” she wrote. “This decision is not only truly unfortunate but also hubristic and senseless.”

The unsigned emergency order did not include a vote count.

Defending the Rule of Law

Last month, Jackson also dissented in the controversial 6-3 ruling that curtailed the use of nationwide injunctions—a judicial tool that temporarily blocks presidential actions.

The ruling upheld Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship, despite widespread legal challenges.

Jackson warned that the majority’s decision “threatens the rule of law” by empowering the executive branch while weakening the judiciary.

“If judges must allow the Executive to act unlawfully in some circumstances, as the Court concludes today, executive lawlessness will flourish,” she wrote. “From there, it is not difficult to predict how this all ends.”

Justice Jackson continues to emerge as a powerful voice for institutional accountability as the Trump administration aggressively reshapes federal policy, often through sweeping executive actions.

For author: Staff News
Courtesy of: Forbes
Source: HuffPost