Justice Clarence Thomas warned against politicizing the Supreme Court in a new speech at the University of Notre Dame, according to The Washington Post.
Thomas said decisions from judges should not be based on “personal preferences” and politicians shouldn’t “allow others to manipulate our institutions when we don’t get the outcome that we like,” per The Washington Post.
Thomas criticized judges who step into the political realm, arguing that it’s a dangerous path to follow.
- “When we begin to venture into the legislative or executive branch lanes, those of us, particularly in the federal judiciary with lifetime appointments, are asking for trouble,” he said, according to Axios.
- “The court was thought to be the least dangerous branch and we may have become the most dangerous,” he added.
Other judges recently made comments about politics. Justice Amy Coney Barrett said her goal as a judge “is to convince you that this court is not comprised of a bunch of partisan hacks,” per CBS News.
Similarly, Justice Stephen Breyer said that even if Americans disagree with the Supreme Court, “internally, you must feel that this is not a political institution.”