Justice Amy Coney Barrett is the object of intense scorn after siding with the liberal justices on the high court this week. Barrett was the president’s third nominee for the Supreme Court during his first term. As a conservative-leaning jurist with a large family and deep religious faith, Barrett was mocked by the leftist media for both her record and personal life. Now, the president’s most ardent supporters are accusing her of the worst thing in Trump world: disloyalty. In doing so, they act just like the Left.
The decision in question surrounds President Donald Trump’s deportation powers under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. The court ruled 5-4 to lift the temporary restraining order that was in place, though as Conn Carroll of the Washington Examiner noted, “the question of whether the Trump administration properly invoked the Alien Enemies Act … has yet to be litigated.”
It is not a sweeping win as some in the administration suggest. Barrett joined Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson in partial, not full, dissent. In fact, it is clear Barrett does not agree with several sections of the minority’s written dissent. As a result, she does not join those. But this is conveniently ignored by Barrett’s critics on the Right, who would rather brand her as some sort of leftist rubber stamp.
Reactions unfolded as expected on social media. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) posted, “This is disappointing.” Elon Musk replied, “Suicidal empathy is a civilizational risk.”
Disagreement is one thing. But others went so far as to claim Barrett has sold out. The aptly named Catturd posted on X, “There’s nobody I have less respect for in the entire country besides Dr. Fauci than Amy Commie Barrett – Trump appointed her and gave her her dream job and complimented her and praised her – and she’s been an ungrateful, backstabbing POS since day one. She’s everything that’s wrong with this country. She’s an Absolute disgusting fraud.”
Still worse than that brainless take is commentator Ann Coulter’s post on X. Coulter reposted another user calling Barrett a “white liberal woman” and included a photo of Barrett’s family, which includes two children adopted from Haiti, with the text, “Who could’ve seen that coming?” The clear implication being Barrett and her husband tried to ingratiate themselves with leftists by adopting black kids.
This is racism, and it is downright evil. Family members do not all need to look the same in order to share a lifelong bond of love and support. Coulter’s disgusting display was further echoed by the many in her replies who agreed with her.
During Barrett’s confirmation hearings, leftists acted the same way with articles such as one at Ms. magazine titled “Amy Coney Barrett’s ‘Happy Go Lucky’ Haitian Children and the White Savior Narrative.” People on both the Left and Right who disagree with Barrett are quick to use these repulsive and clearly racist attacks.
Republicans who dislike Barrett’s decisions also ignore her long history as a judge, her time on the Supreme Court, and, importantly, the oath she took when she was sworn in. Among other things, the oath states, “I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Nowhere does it say that a newly confirmed justice will support and defend the president who nominated her. And Americans, Democrat and Republican, should appreciate that fact.
MAGA HAS A PROBLEM WITH AMY CONEY BARRETT. IT’S MORE COMPLICATED THAN THEY THINK
The justices on the court are human beings with their own biases, but they are not there to be a political tool of any president. We should not want them to be a political tool. They should impartially apply the law as they interpret it. Wanting a Supreme Court justice to do anything other than that reveals a flawed misunderstanding of their role.
Barrett may not always vote with the conservative majority, and her final decisions may not always support the current administration. This in no way makes her a fraud, a sellout, or sympathetic to leftist causes. Her role is far greater and will last longer than any temporary executive in the Oval Office. This is what partisans, right and left, willfully ignore.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a contributing freelance columnist at the Freemen News-Letter.
This article was originally published at www.washingtonexaminer.com
