Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett downplayed concerns of a constitutional crisis during an event promoting her new book in New York City on Thursday, per multiple reports.
“I don’t think that we are currently in a constitutional crisis,” Barrett said in an interview with The Free Press’ Bari Weiss at Lincoln Center. “I think that our country remains committed to the rule of law. I think we have functioning courts.”
Worries about a constitutional crisis have grown as the executive branch has sought to expand its power including by ignoring court orders and bypassing Congress on key issues like a federal funding freeze.
Barrett’s comments come as President Donald Trump has attacked judges for decisions that have stymied his policies, including calling for one to be impeached. In certain cases like its deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador, the Trump administration has also openly defied court orders as it’s sought to advance its agenda.
The Supreme Court — which has a 6-3 conservative majority — has sided with Trump on a number of cases including policies that terminate legal protections for Venezuelan immigrants and that bar trans people from serving in the military, even as lower court judges have contested his ability to proceed on them.
