Supreme Court justices respond to Trump's 'dangerous' rhetoric after scathing criticisms

By BREANNE DEPPISCH, US SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 01:33, 15 July 2026 | Updated: 01:35, 15 July 2026 Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett on Tuesday did not mince words when asked about the threats that rhetoric employed by President Donald Trump and others can pose to the high court, describing the remarks he’s used in recent months to describe their rulings as both unhelpful and ‘dangerous.’ Their remarks came as part of a broader trip to Capitol Hill to testify about the need for the Supreme Court’s budget increase for the upcoming fiscal year. At one point during the hearing, Democratic Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, pressed justices about the rise in threats and the rhetoric used by President Trump — citing a flurry of public statements the commander-in-chief has made about the high court’s rulings, both on social media and in person. 'I just want to pick up a point that Senator Collins made about some outrageous statements that are being made by public figures,’ he said, ‘and I can’t think of a more prominent one than the President of the United States.’ Reed then read aloud Trump’s remarks following the 6-3 ruling invalidating the president's sweeping tariff regime, in which he assailed members of the court and said they 'ransacked' the country by way of the ruling.  Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett testify before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Capitol Hill Members of the media photograph Supreme Court justices on Capitol Hill  Justice Amy Coney Barrett testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Capitol Hill President Donald Trump speaks with Judge Amy Coney Barrett after her swearing-in ceremony Justices are seen at the US Capitol in January 2026  ‘I don't agree with anything he says,' Reed said of Trump, 'but if there's anyone in the country that commands more attention, it's the president, and I think that behavior is very dangerous,’ he said, before asking the justices if they agreed. Justice Kagan responded immediately. ‘Senator, wherever these statements come from, and you know, whatever political figure says them …Statements like that are really unhelpful.’ As a justice, she noted, ‘you’re subject to all kinds of criticism, but intimidation is a different thing entirely.’ ‘And when political figures of any stripe are trying to intimidate judges and justices to do things that they like rather than the things that they don't. That's where we really have crossed the line.’ The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the interaction. Kagan's remarks come as justices are seeking roughly $225 million in funding from Congress for the upcoming year — a 29 percent increase from 2026 — and one that is largely underpinned by what they said is a need to increase security for justices, including the number of personnel assigned to their security details, and cybersecurity.