The U.S. Supreme Court justice, making clear she was speaking in general terms, raised questions about President Donald Trump’s recent efforts to push the limits of his power.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, shown in 2022, said the public needs to remain vigilant about their rights as the Trump administration takes aim at them: “A free country, a democratic country, is one in which no one is above the law.” Jacquelyn Martin/AP file
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson spoke about the importance of the Constitution and the protection of rights in remarks Wednesday night at a South Side Church.
“The Constitution is our founding creed,” Jackson said at the House of Hope Arena in Pullman, during an event hosted by Salem Baptist Church of Chicago to promote her new memoir, “Lovely One.”
“A free country, a democratic country, is one in which no one is above the law,” she said.
Though she made it clear she was speaking in general terms, Jackson’s comments were delivered against the backdrop of President Donald Trump’s recent efforts to push the limits of presidential power.
In the first weeks of his new administration, Trump signed a flurry of executive orders halting federal programs,
freezing federal funding, overturning
birthright citizenship and terminating some federal workers.
However, many of Trump’s proposals have been put on hold by federal judges as his opponents file lawsuits pushing back against his orders. Some observers have wondered what will happen if Trump attempts to ignore any court rulings, which some of his advisers have hinted he should do.
“He who saves his country does not violate any Law,” Trump said Saturday on his personal X account, suggesting the law does not apply to him. But Tuesday, Trump, who has been openly critical of the courts, said he would comply with court rulings on his policies. “I always abide by the courts,” he said.
Jackson, who is one of three liberals on the Supreme Court, didn’t comment on the possibility that any of the cases could wind up before her on appeal.
But she encouraged everyone in the audience to know their rights and stay informed about what’s happening in the government.
“The 14th Amendment in particular, which is the due process clause and the equal protection clause, [is] the amendment that guarantees that people are treated equally regardless of their skin color, or image, or anything else,” she said. “In a democracy, we need informed citizens who know what’s going on.”
Jackson was appointed as a Supreme Court Justice in 2022 by former President Joe Biden.
In her book, Jackson recounts her experience during the confirmation hearings and reflects on her journey to becoming the first Black woman on the nation’s highest court.
“I have such deep-seated self-confidence that comes from people around me, who have always told me I could accomplish anything,” Jackson said.
