Ex-Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Sounds Alarm On These 2 Threats To Democracy

Former Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy on Thursday cautioned that contentious political debate alongside a spike in threats to judges are putting U.S. democracy “at risk.”

Kennedy — in nearly 10-minute-long remarks at an event for the nonpartisan group Speak Up for Justice — stressed a need for “dignified” discourse before noting that other countries look to the U.S. to see what democracy is and “ought to be.”

“And if they see a hostile, fractious discourse, if they see a discourse that uses identity politics rather than to talk about issues, democracy is at risk. Freedom is at risk,” said Kennedy, who was nominated to the court by Ronald Reagan and retired from the bench in 2018.

While Kennedy didn’t mention Donald Trump by name, his remarks come as the president has ramped up his attacks against judges over decisions he doesn’t like.

One of Trump’s recent diatribes led to a rare rebuke from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who knocked the president for calling for the impeachment of a federal judge who ruled against Trump’s deportation flights.

Since Trump took office in January, judges have faced a rise in threats against them and their families, sparking calls to boost security details as a result.

A pair of Trump-appointed judges told the House judiciary committee Tuesday that they disagreed with calls to impeach judges over rulings and advocated for increased security spending for the courts in the next fiscal year.

On Thursday, Kennedy argued that both freedom and democracy are “taught.”

“Teaching is a conscious act, and that’s what our judges do,” he said during the event focused on the “global risks” to judges and the rule of law.

He later emphasized the importance of both the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, noting that the purpose of the nation is to both “preserve” and “enhance” freedom for generations to come.

“This is the opportunity, peace is what gives us the opportunity to make democracy stronger, to make freedom more attainable, to make freedom great for ourselves and the rest of the world,” said Kennedy, who underscored hopes of peace in the Middle East earlier in his remarks.

“We must always say no to tyranny and yes to truth.”