American Bar Association puts Trump on blast for SCOTUS attacks

WASHINGTON (CN) — The American Bar Association on Monday reprimanded President Donald Trump for lobbing personal attacks at Supreme Court justices, calling for restraint ahead of the State of the Union.

“The recent remarks by the president of the United States, leveling personal criticisms against members of the U.S. Supreme Court, are not acceptable and cross a dangerous line that threatens the safety of the judiciary and our judicial process,” ABA President Michelle A. Behnke said in a statement.

Only days after the high court stripped him of his favorite foreign policy tool, Trump will receive a rare opportunity to address the justices during Tuesday night’s State of the Union address. The ABA called on Trump to lower the temperature.

“Vigorous debate over policy is a strength of our democracy, but attacks that demean the judiciary are not,” Behnke said. “Incendiary rhetoric has helped contribute to the alarming increase in attacks on and threats to our judges. It must stop.”

On Friday, Trump lashed out at the six justices who ruled against his emergency tariff authority, calling them “fools and lapdogs for the RINOs and the radical left Democrats.” Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, both of whom were appointed by Trump, earned particular ire from the president.

“I think it’s an embarrassment to their families,” Trump said of Gorsuch and Barrett. “You want to know the truth, the two of them.”

While admiring their loyalty to Democrats, Trump said the liberal justices were a “disgrace to our nation.”

The president claimed the justices who ruled against him were motivated by foreign powers. When asked for evidence of the assertion, Trump said, “You’re going to find out.”

“Personal attacks against individual justices, particularly allegations that they are influenced by ‘foreign interests,’ are wholly inappropriate,” Behnke said. “Such statements risk undermining the rule of law and the public’s faith in an impartial judiciary, foundational pillars of our democracy that have guided our nation since its founding.”

The ABA said critiques of judicial opinions must respect the facts and the law to uphold the independence and integrity of the courts.

“The men and women of the Supreme Court, regardless of who appointed them, deserve respect for exercising their duty to interpret the Constitution faithfully and independently,” Behnke said. “The health of our constitutional system depends on maintaining that independence, free from political intimidation or retribution.”

On Monday, Trump announced he’d no longer be capitalizing “Supreme Court,” declaring “will be using lower case letters for a while based on a complete lack of respect!” in a Truth Social post. Trump went on to call the decision “ridiculous, dumb, and very internationally divisive.”

“Our incompetent supreme court did a great job for the wrong people, and for that they should be ashamed of themselves (but not the Great Three!),” Trump wrote, referring to Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, who dissented from the ruling.

Despite the political theatre, Supreme Court justices can attend the State of the Union as a gesture of unity between the branches. The justices’ attendance is voluntary, and some members of the court have chosen not to attend after awkward confrontations with the executive.

Justice Samuel Alito, a George W. Bush appointee, made a habit of skipping the event after a viral moment in 2010. During his remarks, President Barack Obama said Citizens United v. FEC would “open the floodgates to special interests — including foreign corporations — to spend without limit in our elections.”

The camera panned to Alito mouthing, “Not true.” Alito’s reaction juxtaposed his colleagues’ stoic demeanors.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment on the ABA’s statement.

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