Justices Sotomayor and Barrett Assure Americans Supreme Court Isn’t Partisan

Liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor and conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett encouraged Americans that the Supreme Court is not driven by partisanship at a recent panel.

The Details: The two appeared on stage at the National Governors Association conference in Washington D.C. encouraging governors and Americans in general to learn how to be more level-headed in disagreements. The appearance was an installment of Utah Republican Gov. Spencer Cox's “Disagree Better” initiative.

For Context: The court will soon hear cases that could dramatically affect the 2024 presidential race. Possible consequences of cases could include whether states have the power to remove former President Donald Trump from the ballot, or if he can be legally seen as conspiring to upend the results of the 2020 election.

Key Quotes: Sotomayor said, “Thankfully, for us, presidents don’t last that long, right? There’s eight years. So for us to be beholden to one of them is a little crazy, you know?” Barrett added, “Not just beholden to a president, but not to a political party, either. Life tenure does insulate us from politics… We all wear the same color black robe. We don’t have red robes and blue robes.”

How The Media Covered It: Politico (Lean Left bias) mentioned expected rulings involving Trump and 2022 comments from conservative Justice Clarence Thomas who said the court’s climate had deteriorated in recent years. The Hill (Center bias) and Washington Examiner (Lean Right bias) did not mention any of the above and simply chronicled Friday’s conversation.