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Friday 28 June 2024
7 in 10 Americans think Supreme Court justices put ideology over

impartiality: AP-NORC poll

Continued from Front

The poll reflects the contin-
ued erosion of confidence
in the Supreme Court, which
enjoyed broader trust as re-
cently as a decade ago. It
underscores the challenge
faced by the nine justices
— six appointed by Repub-
lican presidents and three by
Democrats — of being seen
as something other than just
another element of Washing-
ton's hyper-partisanship.
The justices are expected
to decide soon whether
Trump is immune from crimi-
nal charges over his efforts
to overturn his 2020 reelec-
tion defeat, but the poll sug-
gests that many Americans
are already uneasy about
the justices' ability to rule
impartially.
"It's very political. There's no
question about that," said
Jeff Weddell, a 67-year-old
automotive technology
sales representative from
Macomb County, in presi- Members of the Supreme Court sit for a group portrait at the Supreme Court building in Washington, Oct. 7, 2022. Bottom row, from
dential swing-state Michigan. left, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Justice Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts, Justice Samuel Alito, and
The court's decision-making Justice Elena Kagan. Top row, from left, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Justice Neil Gorsuch, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and Justice Ket-
is so polluted," said Weddell, anji Brown Jackson.
a political independent who Associated Press
plans to vote for Trump in
November. "No matter what lican Senate — were part of nal check and balance on 10 Republican women have pendents — say the justices
they say on President Trump's the majority that overturned our three-branch govern- little to no confidence in the are more likely to shape the
immunity, this will be politi- the near-50-year abortion- ment," said Matt Rogers, a court's handling of presiden- law to fit their own ideology.
cally motivated." rights precedent established 37-year-old Republican from tial power and immunity, A similar share has little or
Confidence in the Supreme in Roe v. Wade. Knoxville, Tennessee. compared to 45% of Repub- no confidence at all in the
Court remains low. The poll This year's term, with a dozen Other Republicans share that lican men. court's handling of abortion,
of 1,088 adults found that cases still undecided, has mistrust, although the court's Janette Majors, a Republi- gun policy and presidential
4 in 10 U.S. adults say they already seen some ma- current makeup is more con- can from Ridgefield, Wash- power and immunity.
have hardly any confidence jor rulings. Earlier in June, servative than any court in ington, says it's only natural Michigan Democrat Andie
in the people running the the Supreme Court unani- modern history. They are also for a justice to reflect the ide- Near noticed that the court
Supreme Court, in line with mously preserved access split on whether the justices ology of the president who seemed to become a politi-
an AP-NORC poll from Oc- to the pharmaceutical drug are more driven by person- nominated them. cal tool in 2016, when then-
tober. As recently as early mifepristone, a medication al ideology or impartiality, But episodes outside the Su- Senate Majority Leader Mitch
2022, before the high-profile used in nearly two-thirds of with about half of Republi- preme Court chambers have McConnell refused to allow
ruling that overturned the all abortions in the U.S. last cans saying the justices are made her less confident in hearings on Democratic
constitutional right to abor- year. The same week, the more likely to shape the law the people running the court. President Barack Obama's
tion, an AP-NORC poll found court struck down a Trump- to fit their own ideology, and "What you hear about Supreme Court nominee
that only around one-quarter era gun restriction, a ban on another half saying they are Clarence Thomas, taking Merrick Garland.
of Americans lacked confi- rapid-fire gun accessories likelier to be an independ- trips paid for by rich peo- McConnell quickly allowed
dence in the justices. known as bump stocks, a ent check on their co-equal ple, makes me think there hearings after Trump nomi-
And although the Supreme win for gun-rights advocates. branches. are some individuals there nated Gorsuch within 10
Court's conservative major- Only about half of Republi- "I think they are getting influ- that don't sound like I should days of taking office in 2017.
ity has handed down some cans have a great deal or a enced and pressured by a trust them," Majors said, refer- "I had thought the court,
historic victories for Republi- moderate amount of confi- lot of people and a lot of en- ring unprompted to reports though maybe skewing
can policy priorities over the dence in the court's handling tities on the left," said Rogers, that Thomas has for years re- left or right, was serving the
past few years, rank-and-file of important issues, including a health and wellness trainer ceived undisclosed expen- whole body of the country,"
Republicans aren't giving the gun policy, abortion, elec- who plans to vote for Trump sive gifts, including travel, the 42-year-old museum reg-
justices a ringing endorse- tions and voting, and presi- a third time this year. "Let's from GOP megadonor Har- istrar from Holland, Michigan,
ment. dential power and immunity, be honest. It's anything to lan Crow. said. "That's when it brought
It's been two years since the according to the new poll. crucify Trump." Democrats and independ- to high relief that the Su-
court's ruling on abortion Some Republicans have less ents are even more skepti- preme Court is being used
rights. Justices Neil Gorsuch, "I don't have a lot of faith confidence in the court's cal of the court's neutrality, to skew the political environ-
Brett Kavanaugh and Amy in the Supreme Court. And handling of specific issues according to the poll. ment we live in, and it's only
Coney Barrett — Trump nomi- that's unfortunate because than others. The poll found, About 8 in 10 Democrats gotten worse."q
nees confirmed by a Repub- that's the final say-so, the fi- for instance, that about 6 in — and about 7 in 10 inde-