Justice Samuel Alito Criticizes Political Rhetoric and Emergency Appeals

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito criticized the rise of harsh political rhetoric and the increasing volume of emergency appeals in a wide-ranging interview and his new book, "So Ordered: An Originalist’s View of The Constitution, The Court and Our Country."

Alito noted that emergency applications now rival the number of cases considered with full briefing and oral arguments. He attributed this surge to the increased use of executive orders by the administration of President Donald Trump over traditional congressional legislation. While Alito rejected the characterization of his judicial opinions as "MAGA," he asserted that the Supreme Court faces historically unprecedented threats and that current political rhetoric contributes to declining public trust in the court.

Regarding his own conduct, Alito discussed his decision to recuse himself from the Suncor v. Boulder County climate case involving oil and gas companies. He described the recusal as a "judgment call," noting that he made the decision despite initial guidance from the court's legal office suggesting his stock holdings did not require it. Alito also characterized media portrayals of him as "very unfair" and commented on colleagues he perceives as "speechifying."